The blue plywood and scaffolding surrounding the corner of Broadway and 46th Street has been a Times Square eyesore for a while, and the Times explained the delay in June. The redevelopment of the old Howard Johnson's?the fried clam emporium/local landmark that was razed to make way for a new big-box retail space, much to the chagrin of Jacques Pépin?was being held up because a small section of the building turned out to be the protruding refreshment bar of the historic Lunt-Fontanne theater right next door. The parties finally agreed on a deal to demolish the bulge and then rebuild the bar space, and a Curbed tipster recently dropped by the site to see what remains of Howard Johnson's tumor. Not much, but it's a cool look.
· At Lunt-Fontanne, an Impasse Nears a Finale [NYT]
· Chef Can't Imagine Times Square without Fried Clams [Curbed]