Dag Hammarskjold

• Miles of silly saffron brought 3.25 million extra tourists to Central Park in February 2005. What will attract non-New Yorkers when the weather turns cold here next time around? "A cinematic art experience that will directly integrate with the city's architecture, while enhancing and challenging viewers' perception of public space." Perfect. Midwesterners are already lining up at MoMA for their January 16 "challenge." (Crain's)
• The UN is getting some new neighbors at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (aka 305 East 47th). The glorious Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan is moving from 866 UN Plaza to 13,800 square feet on the Dag condo's third floor, while the old American Federation for the Arts is moving to the tenth. We hope they both get along with their Sudanese and Arab Emirate housemates. (Globe St.)
• Downtown finally gets tastier: the "terrific" Italialian Via Emilia moves to 47 E. 21st Street, and the Tasting Room leaves its old "trap-door basement cubbyhole" for 264 Elizabeth. See also: 101 cheap eats. (New York)
• 22 Ugliest Words of the Day, Gray's Anatomy Style: "the housing industry appears to be moving from a boom to something that is starting to look a lot like a bust." (New York Times)
- Max Abelson  read more »
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The Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza are filing a suit against the New York City Parks Department over the selection of the Original Milkshake Company for a concession in Dag Hammarskjold Park, on 47th Street between First and Second avenues. Longtime concessionaire Patio Cafe was passed over for the upstart milkshack company.

The F.D.H. allege that the Parks Department "operated in an arbitrary and capricious manner in awarding the contract, and that the bid selection process was tainted, suggesting cronyism or favoritism." Additionally, the F.D.H. allege that the milkshake company "has little operating experience, no experience as a city concessionaire, a proposed capital investment lacking detail and support, unprofessional submitted designs, inadequate financial capability to meet its own stated capital needs." Also, the F.D.H. say that the Milkshake Co.'s projections of $600,000 in sales for its first year of operations is triple what the company's now-closed store on St. Marks brought in--a very optimistic projection considering its past operating history. Additionally, the F.D.H. say that the Milkshake Co. failed to follow the filing rules for the R.F.P. (request for proposals).

The lawsuit, which is of the Article 78 variety--permitting a court review to determine if an error of law happened or a decision was arbitrary, capricious or an abuse of discretion--is scheduled to go before the New York State Supreme Court tomorrow. AThe F.D.H. count the Turtle Bay Association, Community Board 6, Assembly member Jonathon Bing, Representative Carolyn Maloney and Council member Dan Garodnick as its allies in this fight.

(See previous coverage here.)  read more »

-Matthew Grace

Last night, Community Board 6 passed a resolution asking the Parks Department to review its awarding of a concession license to the New York City Milkshake Company for use of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, on 47th Street between First and Second avenues.

Another concession, the Patio Cafe, has been the longtime food-slinger in the park, and the board, along with Borough President Scott Stinger, the Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and the Turtle Bay Association, is upset the Parks Department awarded the concession without outside input.  read more »

Mr. Stringer has also written a letter to the Parks Department requesting that the Milkshake Company submit an income and expense projection and a timetable describing all design and capital work (something required in the proposal yet was lacking).

-Matthew Grace

A reader who's following the Darfur story closely was struck by the entry in today's Associated Press day schedule for a New York rally:

10:45 a.m.

More than 150 rabbis rally against "genocide" in Darfur; Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, East 47th Street between First and Second avenues.

That would make AP one of the last institutions outside the Sudanese government to be officially skeptical about what's happening over there. But apparently it was a mistake, not policy.

"If that were in an AP story, we would send a correction to eliminate the quotation marks," emails AP New York Bureau Chief Howard Goldberg.