Soho House faces an August 8th hearing on its controversial application to open a new club on the Lower East Side.
Word comes this morning that Soho House will go before an administrative judge early next month, as the State Liquor Authority weighs whether to approve the private members’ club bid to open a new outpost at 139 Ludlow St. The 500 foot hearing, required anytime an applicant wants a full bar in an area in which there are already three existing permits, will take place at SLA offices in Harlem.
In May, Community Board 3 voted against the proposal, arguing that the block is already overburdened with bars and plagued with late night noise and congestion. But the liquor authority has the final say. The judge will hear testimony from Donald Bernstein, Soho House’s attorney, and local supporters. He’ll also weigh testimony from opponents of Soho House, who are expected to present a detailed case against the proposed liquor permit.
SLA commissioners will then hold a second hearing, probably sometime in the fall, before voting. Soho House purchased 139 Ludlow, a former funeral home, and hope to open a second New York City location there. The club is already ensconced in the Meatpacking District and is in the midst of a worldwide expansion.
The August 8th hearing takes place at 11 a.m.
