Ark plans eatery for W’burg waterfront

Ark Restaurants, whose nine New York eateries include the Bryant Park Grill, is moving forward with plans to become one of the first restaurants on the Williamsburg waterfront. Ark is close to signing a 7,000-square-foot lease at the Edge, the 565-unit condominium at North 6th Street and the water, Michael Weinstein, Ark chairman and CEO, told the Wall Street Journal. “We think if we do a good product, there’s a natural tendency to want to be near the water,” he said, though he acknowledged the location does come with some difficulties. “The challenge here, quite honestly, is it’s at the back of the Edge building, and it’s blind to everybody. You don’t see this from the street.” If the lease is finalized soon, Ark could open as early as fall 2011. Two other restaurants are also being planned on the north Williamsburg waterfront, including a still unannounced eatery at Northside Piers, a new residential project adjacent to the Edge. [WSJ]