It ap-Pier’s to be full
‘Winery’ deal puts 57 close to brim
CALL it Pier Pleasure. Pier 57, the urban playground and commercial complex in the Hudson River off West 15th Street, is now almost fully leased. A justsigned deal for City Winery added 14,600 square feet to its current space — bringing its total to 52,000 square feet.
The transaction leaves almost none of the Pier’s 633,000 square feet available.
The popular City Winery restaurant, wine bar and concert venue will soon add a “flagship” Corsican-Mediterranean eatery with 6,500 square feet; a 3,000square-foot tequila bar and lounge; and a rooftop sushi bar of 5,100 square feet.
Both the Mediterranean and the tequila/mezcal venues will be on the ground floor. The sushi bar will share the expansive, two-acre roof with its sightseeing facilities and green play areas, which are a favorite of frolicking kids and waterfowl, like a gaggle of honking geese that drew smiles on Friday.
‘Culinary diversity’
William Elder, executive vice president and New York leasing director for pier operator RXR, said City Winery’s expansion “further cements the building’s status as one of the premier dining and entertainment landmarks on the Hudson River.”
Elder added that with the new deals, “Pier 57 is now substantially leased — a milestone that illustrates how the property’s unique offerings continue to resonate with the community.”
City Winery founder, owner and CEO Michael Dorf hailed the pier’s “culinary diversity.” (It’s also home to Market 57, a sprawling food hall curated under the guidance of the James Beard Foundation.)
Dorf noted that the new restaurant and what he called the city’s largest tequila and mezcal bar will overlook Little Island, the thriving artificial island park immediately south of Pier 57.
Of course, Pier 57 — transformed from its shipping-era form into a 21st-century urban playground by RXR and partner Young Woo & Associates to the tune of $410 million — isn’t all for fun and feasting. Anchor commercial tenant Google leases 350,000 square feet, or more than half of the pier’s total space.
RXR and its partners lease the once-derelict pier from the Hudson River Park Trust.
The late Anthony Bourdain once hoped to use it for a Singapore-style “hawker” market. Although his dream was never realized, the pier today can claim to be a culinary landmark in its own right.
Rudin sells
News that the Rudin family apparently plans to sell 80 Pine St. to Joseph Hoffman’s real estate company Bushburg for a lowball $160 million marks a poignant turn in the property’s history.
The building, which the Rudins reportedly hoped would fetch $200 million, held a special place in the dynasty’s heart. When company legend Lew Rudin broke ground on the 1.2 million-square-foot tower in 1959, his young son, Bill Rudin — who later would become the company’s CEO and is today coexecutive chairman — watched the ceremony in his dad’s arms, as shown in a photo we ran in October 2020.
At that time, the Rudins, faced with losing AIG, which had 800,000 square feet, embarked on an upgrade project to make the tower more competitive in a weak market. A leasing effort by a top JLL team helped generate 200,000 square feet in new leases. Bushburg is Manhattan-based but has done most of its projects in Brooklyn. If the prospective sale, which was first reported by the Real Deal, goes through, the new owners might attempt to convert the building to apartments, as several other downtown owners are in the process of doing. Neither Bill Rudin nor Bushburg responded to requests seeking comment.