Hudson River Park seeks large Pier 26 restaurant

The Hudson River Park Trust is soliciting proposals for a 200-seat waterside restaurant on Pier 26, the Wall Street Journal reported, the biggest full-service restaurant in The Waterfront Park That Stretches From West 59th Street to Manhattan’s southern tip. The restaurant would also accommodate additional patrons on a rooftop terrace.

Trust CEO Madelyin Wils said she envisions a “seafood-oriented” reference that’s not too upscale so as to appeal to businessmen and local residents alike.

Just a few blocks north of Battery Park City, the Pier 26 restaurant is entering a dining scene that’s grown in recent months, most notably with the addition of three Danny Meyer restaurants: Shake Shack, North End Grill and Blue Smoke.

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The restaurant would also help the Hudson River Park Trust’s finances, the Journal noted. The trust relies exclusively on revenues from privately operated concessions, permits, fees and donations for funding, rather than city or state grants, and it recently reported a $10 million shortfall.

The park already boasts a handful of casual dining options, but the one nearest Pier 26, a concession stand at Pier 45 near the West Village, closed. The trust is looking to replace that eatery, too. [WSJ]