Last night, Paulaner Brauhaus owner Rudy Tauscher invited the neighbors to 265-267 Bowery, the future home of his 4,000 square foot restaurant. As you might recall, Tauscher withdrew his liquor application at last month’s Community Board 3 hearing, after local residents complained they had not been properly consulted about the proposed beer hall.
Neighbors crowded into the entry of the former kitchen supply store, engaging in a sometimes tense conversation with Tauscher and Anthony Morali, his architect. Morali explained the soundproofing plan for the building, as skeptical residents living above the ground floor commercial space looked on. Addressing concerns that customers of the brew house would bring more late night congestion and noise to the already noisy and congested Bowery, Tauscher emphasized that there would be ample security at the front door. He said Paulaner Brauhaus would close at 1 a.m. on weekends and would not morph into a late night club. Arguing that his restaurant would improve the block Tauscher gestured to the sidewalk, saying, “it’s so filthy out there… I picked up (the garbage) myself tonight.”
One resident told Tauscher, “you need to listen to the concerns of the neighborhood. We don’t want to see velvet ropes out there.” Others complained that the soundproofing plan was too vague and they asked for more information. Following the meeting, 265 Bowery resident Tim Davis told us he’s hopeful an agreement can be hammered out in the next week, detailing various verbal promises Tauscher has made to the community. In spite of suggestions to the contrary, he said many residents had not been contacted about the plan until very recently.
An attorney handling the Paulaner Brauhaus liquor license application said he was told by the community board that there was no block association on the Bowery, and therefore, no single neighborhood group that could be contacted about the proposal. Members of the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors, a preservation group, came out in force last night to help represent the community’s interests. In recent days, a new organization, the Bowery/Stanton Block Association, has been created. Davis said it included residents of 275-267 Bowery and other buildings, including 10 Stanton Street and the Avalon Chrystie.
John Gorman, the lawyer representing Craig Murray, who has an=minority interest in the company that owns 265 Bowery, said his client has serious concerns about Tauscher’s proposal. Murray has co-owned the building for many years, acquiring it from the city for artists living and working on the Bowery. Gorman said he is worried about the welfare of the family living on the second floor.
Tauscher is the general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at the Time Warner Center. He acquired a license from the Paulaner Brewery to open the restaurant.
He will return to Community Board 3’s SLA committee next Monday. We’ll see if Tauscher and residents of the Bowery can come to an agreement before then.
