Wine bar that Central Park West shot down will land on Columbus

From left: 25 Central Park West, the originally-proposed wine bar location, and 240 Columbus Avenue‘s retail space, the new location for the venue (source: PropertyShark)

The Central Park West wine bar-that-wasn’t has a future after all, but the high-powered neighbors who helped shoot it down earlier this year will be happy to know that the venue will be relocated to a grittier street corner nine blocks away. According to DNAinfo, Greg Hunt, who met with bitter opposition from residents when he originally proposed opening his bar at 25 Central Park West, also known as the Century, received Community Board 7’s backing last night for a liquor license and sidewalk café at the new location, the long-vacant ground floor of the rundown 240 Columbus Avenue, near 71st Street. Hunt’s new proposal is similar to the old one: he said it will be a “grown-up café and cocktail lounge” where “we can go and not be surrounded by 21-year-olds.” The city’s Department of Buildings ruled in March that Hunt could not open such a venue at 25 Central Park West because it violated zoning rules after residents of that building and next-door’s ritzy 15 Central Park West, which houses the likes of Denzel Washington and Lloyd Blankfein, hired lobbyists to fight the plans. [DNAinfo]