Long before the first case of COVID-19 was reported, Little Italy was iconic for the sidewalk cafes and restaurants dotting Mulberry Street, the destination's central thoroughfare. But now that indoor dining in New York City has been indefinitely suspended, its outdoor dining scene has been taken to a whole new level, with in-street dining taking space on newly-designated car-free streets. The arrangement allows restaurants to stay in business and diners to enjoy a safe night out.
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In this new setting, foundation work is underway at 155 Mulberry Street, at the corner of Grand Street. Renderings of the new building show a seven-story structure with a red brick facade, large windows, and all the respect for its historic surroundings that one would expect from Morris Adjmi Architects. The facade is articulated with varying colors of brick that appear to faintly trace the fenestration patterns of surrounding tenement buildings. The crowing top0floor penthouse is set back from the street and will provide it's lucky buyer a wrap-around terrace above one the city's most charming areas,
The lot was formerly the home of the Italian American Museum, and demolition permits were filed in December 2017. However, this represents not the end of the museum, but a new beginning: As part of the $14.8 million sale of the site to developers Oved Group and Nexus Building Development Group, the museum will move into a much larger space in the new building rent-free in perpetuity.
Starting on the second floor, 12 condominium residences will be housed. Permits filed with the city show that there will be no more than four units per floor, and amenities will include a bike room and roof terrace. An offering plan has not yet been filed, but apartment hunters should brace themselves - according to CityRealty listings, the median price of a Nolita condo is $5.3 million, or $2,811 per square foot.
The museum will have a separate entrance on Mulberry Street and open up into a central atrium with a 20’ ceiling. Its four levels will include permanent and temporary exhibitions, a 50-seat auditorium, and a gift shop. Artifacts from Banca Stabile, a former tenant on the site, will be incorporated into the new museum. Lower levels will receive natural light from a skylight on the ground floor.
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