Famed British club manager Robin Birley is making his next move in New York City: a dining club on the Upper East Side.
Birley signed a lease for a two-story, 12,000-square foot space at 828 Madison Avenue, the New York Post reported. The building, owned by the Reuben Brothers, formerly housed the Westbury Hotel.
The financial terms were not disclosed for the 20-year lease, which has an option for the club to tack on another 10 years.
The unnamed club is scheduled to open next year. Its hours will depend largely on the whims of the community board, which still needs to approve the club. Birley also still needs to file permits.
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Robin Zendell of Robin Zendell & Associates represented Birley in the lease deal.
Birley is arguably best known for his 5HS nightclub in London, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle went on their first date. Birley is also known for being mauled by a tiger at his friend’s private zoo at age 11, leaving his face disfigured.
Four years ago, Birley had plans to open a nightclub and a hotel at 14-16 East 16th Street. That appears to have been abandoned, though, as the Post reported in November that the property, also owned by the Reuben Brothers, would no longer house the club, as the developers instead turned their eyes to the Upper East Side.
Birley was able to close the deal with the Reubens at 828 Madison Avenue. Last year, the brothers acquired the 18,000-square-foot retail condominium from Vornado Realty Trust for $50 million. Vornado had paid $113 million in 2005 for the retail condo, which covers the entire blockfront between East 69th and East 70th streets.
The condo was one of three retail properties the Reuben Brothers acquired from Vornado at the time.
[NYP] — Holden Walter-Warner