Andre Balazs's charm offensive on disgruntled dirty underwear-stringing neighbors came to fruition last night, with preliminary approval granted by Community Board 3 for the expansion and reconfiguration of the Standard East hotel on Cooper Square. The most significant concession to neighbors was the elimination of the second floor rooftop bar, which had pissed-off neighbors heckling patrons and displaying soiled underwear on clotheslines as the ultimate buzz kill.
Eater NY describes how the hotel will gain 1,000 square feet of space while reducing potential annoyances to the surrounding residents:
Balazs wants to move the lobby into the garden space, so that 60 percent of the outdoor space will now be indoors. This is all part of a plan to reorient the ground floor and entrance of the hotel. The bar addition will actually be a small service bar measuring 16 feet by eight feet. There will also be about 18 stools for guests, but this is not going to be a monster lounge. As noted previously, the second floor bar is being axed, and it will become either a guest room or a gym.· Balazs Scores Approval for Standard East Village Revamps [Eater]
· Standard East Reshuffling Its Public Floor Plan [Curbed]
· Standard East coverage [Curbed]
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