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CB1 Again Rejects Lafayette Street Club Nearly two years after Community Board 1 opposed a liquor license for a proposed 570-person Appearing last month before CB1’s Tribeca Committee, the club’s representative Larry Golden argued that New York needs venues like his to be a vibrant city. “The reason people come here from all over the world is for the culture and frankly for the nightlife,” said Golden, who had gained the liquor license from the state over the board’s objections. “It is important to have good things to go to at nighttime. And for New York to remain like London and Paris we have to find a way to support these things.”
Amy Chin, with the Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corp., told the board that the venue would benefit struggling Chinatown businesses. Sofia Hernandez, a curator at Art In General, argued that the city needs venues that support emerging artists. But not as late as 4 a.m., and not there, the board replied. “I don’t think it’s a performance space so much as it is a big dance bar with live music and it would be loud and terrible and I don’t like it,” said CB1 board member Laura Braddock. Later in the month, at CB1’s full board meeting, the Rev. Ben Ng of the nearby New York Chinese Baptist Church, and Jim VarnHagen, director of the New York City Rescue Mission, right next door, spoke against the club. “We have church services every evening. We provide for not only the spiritual but physical needs. We house people.” VarnHagen said. “A cabaret next door is not appropriate.” On April 17 Councilman Alan Gerson held a rally, protesting the loss of live music venues such as Tonic, CBGB and the Bottom Line. He called on the city to stave the “crisis” with tax incentives. It was just the message that Golden and his supporters wanted to hear. But following the rally, Gerson was asked about the community opposition that often accompanies a start-up club. “Obviously there’s certain locations where other uses need to be put in place,” he said. “That’s why we have a review process, and why we decide where to put clubs on a case by case basis.”
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