••• I’ve been thinking about what’ll happen to the North End Grill space once the restaurant closes at the end of the year. My understanding is that the Union Square Hospitality Group will not be opening another establishment there. The wood-burning grills would mean it’s vented in a way that it could nicely handle a wood-burning pizza oven….

••• From W.: “Did you know there’s a great marching band practice every Thursday night in Foley Square. Good show!”

••• Every time I’m in side the Oculus, a.k.a. the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, I wonder why the souvenir shops nearby don’t sell scale models of it, the way they do the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, etc. Or even a pop-up card of it…. UPDATE: Sean points out that Lovepop, on the Oculus floor, sells an Oculus pop-up card for $15.

••• The Greenmarket at the plaza on the north side of the Oculus will open on June 5.

••• Someone from the local Docomoco* chapter wrote about the work happening at the New York State Insurance Fund building at 199 Church Street. “We are extremely concerned about the possible damage to this building, due to the State’s planned workplace improvements. It’s rumored that the exterior elements at the base may be altered, even though the building has been determined to be eligible for listing to the National Register.” No one knows what is happening to the building, which is being adapted—at the whim of Governor Andrew Cuomo—to hold several hundred state troopers. But some good news: I went over to Trimble Place, and the vent recently added to that side of the building (first photo below) has been made to resemble, more or less, the existing one (second photo). What’s happening now to the existing one is unclear. As for what we can do, my only thought is that maybe a local state official (i.e. Deborah Glick or Brian Kavanagh) can get the Cuomo administration and/or the state troopers to share an explanation and renderings. But given the administration’s behavior, I wouldn’t hold my breath. (*”Docomomo International is a non-profit organization whose full title is International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement.” —Wikipedia.)