After being abandoned for more than 60 years, a Beaux-Arts building on Allen Street will see new life as a retail dining space.
The small building, sandwiched between lanes of traffic at Delancey Street, was a former bathroom serving elevated train passengers. Now, the city’s Parks Department has outlined plans to reactivate the structure, according to the Lo-Down. The city is preparing to issue a Request for Proposals for a food concession inside the building at the end of March.
The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. has allocated $1 million to renovate the building and the city added another $1 million for the project, according to the Lo-Down.
However, Parks Department officials said they are seeking a food service contractor that will pay for renovations themselves. The Parks Department hopes to use the $2 million to renovate the the area around the structure. [Lo-Down] –Christopher Cameron