••• The Wall Street Journal looks at the plan to let building owners along Water Street convert the semi-public arcades to private retail.

••• “Scott Stringer says it’s time to take a sledgehammer to the city’s bureaucracy to help small businesses. The city comptroller is calling for dozens of changes at city agencies to help business owners better navigate the system, the result of a year-long review by Stringer’s so-called Red Tape Commission.” NY1‘s report features Ann Benedetto of A Uno.

••• Re: grand old 346 Broadway (a.k.a. 108 Leonard), which is being condofied: “CB1 Approves Design Changes to Landmark Structure, But Wants Developer to Save Vintage Clock and Recreate Lost Sculpture.” I could’ve sworn that the developer always planned to recreate the sculpture…? (It was stolen in the 1940s.) Anyway, CB1’s resolution is a recommendation to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which holds all the cards. —Broadsheet

••• “The Portal art fair is taking over Federal Hall—a national memorial building where George Washington was first sworn in as president in 1789—bringing 40 emerging artists into the expansive landmark from May 4 through May 10.” Not to be confused with the 14th Factory at 23 Wall. —DNAinfo

••• “Breakfast will be central to the [Eataly’s] new 4 World Trade Center location when it opens later this year,” and in the meantime there are egg sandwiches at the Flatiron flagship. This warrants an entire Wall Street Journal article?

••• New York Post columnist Lois Weiss found walking to the Oculus exhausting because it’s only half-open. Also, she bemoans the lack of “colorful retail or carousel to provide life.” I take the opposite view: It will never be lovelier than it is now, before the mall stores move in. And the last thing the soaring space needs is a carousel.

••• “Watch 12 Years of Construction on New York’s $4 Billion Transportation Hub in One Minute.” Too bad they put text all over the video and added wacky music. (Also, it wasn’t just ” a series of problems” that forced the building to be delayed; it was also politicians screwing with the process.) —New York