After Four Appeals, CB1 Committee OKs Liquor License for Karaoke Bar

Kyu Lee, architect for the Korean restaurant and karaoke bar under construction at 67 Murray St., explains his plans to the CB1 Tribeca Committee, including Adam Malitz, left. Behind him is acoustical consultant Trey Geier, right, and Andy Lau and Karen Ng from Gunbae. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

The fourth time was the charm.

After four appeals before Com­mu­nity Board 1 over three months, the owners of Gunbae, a restaurant and karaoke bar, finally got the board’s blessing for a liquor license.

Worries by the board and neighbors about noise and vibrations from multiple karaoke rooms planned for the eatery’s basement kept the owners coming back to the board.

There were two contentious meetings with the Tribeca Committee, one in September and again in October. Both times the board was un­happy with the owners’ soundproofing plans. On their third try they presented revised plans to the committee before the full board took its vote.

They were rejected again.

Last month, Gunbae's team of owners, acoustical consultant, lawyer and arch­itect stood be­fore the Tribeca Com­mit­tee with a thick doc­u­ment that ap­parently detailed soundproofing and other plans for the building.

Ac­oustical con­­­sultant Trey Gei­er of Cerami & As­so­ciates as­sured the committee that the soundproofing was more than a plan—it would get done.

Most members were swayed.

“We’ve been through it all chapter and verse,” chair Peter Braus said to member Marc Ameruso, who asked for more details. “They’ve hired the firm that we demanded they hire, they’ve enclosed the contract that shows that they’ve hired the firm, so I don’t think we need to go through all this again.”