<< Back
State Licenses and Permits
1185 Avenue of the Americas – d/b/a “Utsav restaurant” application to modify the special permit to add bar service to an outdoor café in an urban plaza
WHEREAS, Utsav, a restaurant located in an urban plaza, mid-block at 1185 Avenue of the Americas between 46th and 47th streets has a special permit CP 20489 granted in 1968 to the original builders who received a height, set back and a floor area bonus for having an open public plaza and other amenities including a restaurant; and
WHEREAS, The restaurant was to serve as a passage for the plaza itself and the main portion of the restaurant was to be located in the bridge over the landscaped plaza; and
WHEREAS, The special permit was granted in 1968 with an approved plaza design in 1971 showing gardens, an outdoor café and other amenities; and
WHEREAS, The Department of City Planning has asked the owner of Utsav to create the outdoor café shown in the original plans; and
WHEREAS, The current owner, Nadita Khanne, is in the process of applying to modify the special permit to provide:
-
bar service in an open air café consisting of 48 seats and 12 tables for use by Utsav restaurant
-
seating for the public in the plaza; and
WHEREAS, The owner has agreed to add trash receptacles and additional lighting in the public plaza; and
WHEREAS, The new amenities will include conspicuous signage near the sidewalk on either end of the plaza containing information regarding the public nature of the plaza; and
WHEREAS, There will be no music in the plaza; and
WHEREAS, All the proposed changes will enhance an underused plaza located in a populated commercial district with a nearby theatre that would benefit from additional amenities; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of the proposed modification of the special permit to add bar service to the outdoor cafe in the urban plaza at 1185 Avenue of the Americas.
The above resolution passed with a vote of 22 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention.