LPC Approves Seasonal Structure That Will House New Fulton Ferry Landing Restaurant

If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again.

Brothers Miles and Alexander Pincus, the team behind Island Oyster, Grand Banks and Pilot, got approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission yesterday morning for a revamped proposal of a bar and restaurant they plan to open on the pier at Fulton Ferry Landing, located at 1 Water Street.

“I think this is one of the more extraordinary pieces of the public realm, and I didn’t think it should be privatized to the degree that it was being privatized,” said Commissioner Fred Bland, who has opposed the previous proposal. “I believe now this solution is something that I can support.”

Based on new renderings, the name of the restaurant will be called Seaworthy.

The project was last in front of the commissioners in April 2019, where a proposal to construct a pavilion on the pier, create additional outdoor seating and dock a recently retired FDNY vintage fireboat there to house the restaurant and bar were not approved. At that time, commissioners felt the original proposal was “too solid a presence,” and that the brothers should take a look at some of the temporary structures currently at South Street Seaport as inspiration.

In the new proposal, the biggest change is that the restaurant has shifted from a permanent presence on the pier to a seasonal outpost, closed roughly from November to April. When the restaurant is not in operation, the canopy will be removed and the seating will be available to the public. An alternative option for the off-season was presented, and also included in the approval, that would see the entire area “shrinkwrapped” to preserve it from the elements.

Another change is that the new pavilion will not be attached to hose shed, the small structure a few feet from the Marine Fire Boat Station, where Ample Hills is now located. Instead, there will be a gap between the seating area of the restaurant and the historic structure. In the seating area, glass windows and doors have been removed, while the roof will be retractable. This will make it easier to break down during the off season.

The retired FDNY vintage fireboat, included in the original proposal, was not included in what was approved by the commission. The approved structure is similar to its predecessor, Buzzy’s Bar.

[Renderings by Starling Architecture via NY Landmarks Preservation Commission]

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