Stick a fork in Anthony Bourdain’s Pier 57 project, because it’s done.
The celebrity chef said that, more than two years after announcing his vision for a Singapore-inspired night market, the project has been “challenging” and he still hasn’t signed a lease with developers RXR Realty and YoungWoo & Associates, Eater reported.
“Launching what is admittedly a very ambitious venture has proven to be challenging at every turn,” he says. “It seems increasingly clear that in spite of my best efforts, the stars may not align at Pier 57 which is an especially complicated site for which we still do not have a lease.”
Bourdain had signed a letter of intent to open a 155,000-square-foot marketplace with 100 vendors spread across the pier’s main concourse level and mezzanine. But the project experienced setbacks, including the resignation of the market’s CEO, and difficulty getting visas for vendors.
RXR and YoungWoo, which signed a 99-year lease with the Hudson River Park Trust to develop the project, reportedly continued to meet with other potential vendors, such as Gansevoort Market and Eataly.
Boudain said he remains hopeful he can bring the project to New York. [Eater] – Rich Bockmann