Balazs Scores Approval for Standard East Village Revamp

Andre Balazs and his team emerged victorious from last night's Community Board 3 meeting. They received initial approval for their monster revamp of the Standard East Village hotel, which will include the addition of a bar in the garden space. As you may recall, the neighbors had an ongoing guerrilla campaign against former tenant the Cooper Square Hotel, and some people put up fliers this past weekend encouraging local residents to protest their liquor license application. But Balazs, always the smooth operator, convinced the board and the neighbors that these revamps would improve the hotel without adding any unnecessary noise or nuisance.

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.

In total, the hotel is adding 1,000 square feet of space, and Balazs isn't asking for any changes to the existing stipulations. Sadly, Balazs did not spill any more details on his new restaurant in the hotel, which will be called Cafe on The Bowery. But Eater hears he's got a big name chef in mind for this project. Expect a big announcement in the next few weeks.

Eater will have more from last night's CB 3 meeting later today.
UPDATE: A rep sends word that the restaurant will not be called Cafe on the Bowery. That was just a working title used in an earlier meeting with the neighbors.
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[Photo: Booked]
— Reporting by Alison Herman