Whitman's is pretty great, especially the Juicy Lucy. Awful name, amazing burger. — Donna on In the News: Burger Chain Opening on Hudson

When will 287 be finished? — Nick on Seen & Heard: The Leaning Tower of Tribeca

I've been wondering for a while if the orphans mural isn't a slightly cryptic "f*** you" to the folks losing their windows to the north triangle. — AMB on Seen & Heard: The Leaning Tower of Tribeca

Red Grooms' art is great! https://www.artsy.net/artwork/red-grooms-looking-up-broadway-again-1 http://www.artnet.com/artists/red-grooms/the-alley-a-dlPyy8-LPA_I5XwKvMBESQ2 West Broadway and White Street: http://www.artnet.com/artists/red-grooms/roll-out-the-barrels-a-WPEKFCB_lx42L_qcPr3-DQ2 Walker Street and Broadway? http://www.artnet.com/artists/red-grooms/the-law-of-the-morning-G7bJQrKyGZ-59eqgvTRiEQ2 Walker Street II: http://www.artnet.com/artists/red-grooms/walker-street-ii-84DGk8ZZ4xViB8_YDb2tqw2 — James on In the News: Another Redesign for Broadway Tower

So true Sandra. The former South Bronx way of getting pesky old Time commercial tenants out. Found myself in Tents & Trails the day after the fire and they didn’t even seem slightly concerned. I know there is a building between them and the corner but it just seemed odd at the time. And now their building is up for sale.... — TG on Seen & Heard: What’s Next for the Burned Building on Church

Don't know, sorry. — M. Keegan on Seen & Heard: What’s Next for the Burned Building on Church

The solution to all the horn honking will be autonomous vehicles where humans will no longer be venting their emotions at the wheel. It won’t be long... I’ve never heard of that burger chain. Hoping they use clean grass-fed meat. This is TriBeCa after all. — Melanie on In the News: Burger Chain Opening on Hudson

Thanks, again, James. This is very helpful. — A. on In the News: Tetsu Reviews

You can read the approved zoning determination at the first link I included above. The new building approval is fairly certain, as the developer will ensure that the design should conform to what was deemed "approvable." — James on In the News: Tetsu Reviews

Thanks! Any sense of how likely it is that what they requested would be granted? — A. on In the News: Tetsu Reviews

The lot line windows should have been fire rated (or protected by sprinklers) to begin with. In that case, it is not clear that you would have to brick in the windows to obtain the required 2- or 3-hour fire rating for the exterior wall. If it were just a plain window with no sprinkler coverage, you need 8 inches of masonry (2 bricks thick) filing in that window opening to achieve your rating. — James on Seen & Heard: Fourth Shoot This Week

That was my understanding too. But so far, they are only covering the windows with plywood. — Old guy in Tribeca on Seen & Heard: Fourth Shoot This Week

I think when lot-line windows are covered by an adjacent building, they must be bricked up. — Makes You Go Hmmm.... on Seen & Heard: Fourth Shoot This Week

The developer bought unused air rights from a neighboring property in order to build higher than otherwise allowed by the zoning rules (the "Zoning Resolution") on his lot. When air rights are purchased in this manner, the two zoning lots are "merged" into one entity in order to further along the transfer of air rights from one portion of the merged lot to the other. Department of Buildings enforces both the Building Code and the Zoning Resolution. The developer filed a request in 2017 for an interpretation of how DOB would examine their application to build a tower on this merged lot--which is now sitting at the intersection of a wide street and a narrow street--from a zoning rules perspective. Would DOB agree that the height and bulk of the proposed building complied with the zoning rules and limits, under a reasonable interpretation? DOB agreed to the interpretation of the purposed method of calculation, so a full variance from the zoning resolution would need not be sought from the Board of Standards and Appeals (which is above the DOB), provided the developer's plans do show a building that meets zoning when the plan examiner reviews the specific proposed design. — James on In the News: Tetsu Reviews

Monday, saw someone looking out of his/her window from an apartment in the building on the lot line of the northern part of 100 Franklin. By today, the new building is just below that window. By next week, they will be a floor higher and there will be a piece of black plywood over that window. Must be an odd feeling waiting for the dark to come. — Old guy in Tribeca on Seen & Heard: Fourth Shoot This Week

@Sam All I can tell you is that when they replaced the stand-pipe in the Holland Tunnel back in 2004, it was WAY worse. People queued up there anyway, even though signs warned about the closures. This went on for MONTHS. I don't know if the plan this time is any different. We can only hope so. BTW. I just looked at an old email I sent to the Port Authority complaining about this issue, and they closed the lane(s) down at 10:30 -- not midnight, FWIW. — KP on In the News: Burger Chain Opening on Hudson

It’s so sad to see this. I know how hard you’ve worked and how hard it is to start and run a business. I will forever remember you leaving my camera in the front of your store so I could see I’d left it there, even after you closed on one of those crazy Halloween days. You didn’t know whose it was, but you knew they’d eventually come back for it, and saved me 12 hours of panic in the process. Just one of the many lovely touches of customer service in your store. — Jenny on Tribeca Treats Is Closing

James: Can you explain the 267 situation in lay terms? — A. on In the News: Tetsu Reviews

Noticed earlier this week that Tribeca Upholstery and Draperies just moved to that block at 358 Broadway. — TribecaMom on Another Broadway Condo Is in the Works

I see that people are searching where the name "Nivie" comes from. This name comes from the Bible book song of songs and it means sing to me. That also was the name of the tanker ship where I was a part of the crew working in Gothenburg, Sweden. That was a very lucky ship so when my daughter was born I called her Nivie. When the electronic company which I established came about I called it Nivie again. When my granddaughter was born I said stop, no more Nivie, and guess what happened, I gave the part of the service company to my technicians who worked for me for a many years and they opened the new company with the name Nivie Technology. In one of the trip when we pass Gulf of Aqaba the pirates tried to kidnap the ship and then the ZIM company decided to change the name to Taurus. I stayed on that ship for a few years. After the few years the ship went for the renovation in Rotterdam, Holland. — Zdislav David Lasevski on Argo Electronics Has Closed

Has the building owner done any of the work (filed cost $100,000) they got permits for in October? NYC Department of Buildings Document Overview Page: 0 of 1 Premises: 27 PARK PLACE MANHATTAN Job No: 123142606 BIN: 1001405 Block: 124 Lot: 12 Num. of Documents: 1 Job Type: A2 - ALTERATION TYPE 2 DOC NO WORK TYPE(S) / STATUS / JOB DESCRIPTION 01 FILING FOR STRUCTURAL REPAIRS, PARTIAL DEMOLITION AND TEMPORARY SHORING INSTALLATION; NO CHANGE TO USE, EGRESS, OR OCCUPANCY. Status: R - PERMIT ISSUED - ENTIRE JOB/WORK Status Date: 10/10/2017 Plans Page Count: 6 Directive 14: Y Applicant Name: SIMONIELLO EDWARD Pre-Filing Date: 09/20/2017 TYPE STATUS DATE STATUS A2 - ALTERATION TYPE 2 09/20/2017 P: PLAN EXAM - APPROVED OT - STRUCTURAL 10/10/2017 R: PERMIT ISSUED - ENTIRE JOB/WORK — James on Seen & Heard: What’s Next for the Burned Building on Church

Zoning issues were dealt with by variance, but zoning approval is still pending, presumably requiring verification of the plans for compliance by the examiner: http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/BScanJobDocumentServlet?requestid=3&passjobnumber=121191450&passdocnumber=01&allbin=1001472&scancode=ES399437840 Plan examination disapproved on 2/15, presumably pending zoning compliance verification and for other reasons: http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/BScanItemsRequiredServlet?rqidpriortoa=on&rqiditemstatus=open&passjobnumber=121191450&allisn=&allbin=1001472&requestid=4 — James on In the News: Tetsu Reviews

Regarding 111 Church, before the holidays I spoke with someone who had office space on the upper floors. He said they were given vacate orders, and he had already cleaned his stuff out. He told me the damage was extensive, and that it was not clear if the building would be knocked down. — M. Keegan on Seen & Heard: What’s Next for the Burned Building on Church

I can list a few Walker Street ongoing issues: - constant horn-honking and blasting car radios - drug dealers - trash - M1-5 - gym boxing classes taking up the sidewalk and forcing pedestrians to walk in the street I'm sure there are others! — Marcus on Seen & Heard: Thai Delivery Recommendations?

The horn-honking near the tunnel on Friday afternoons is out of control! I wish the city would issue summonses for the honking violation, instead of the B.S. garbage summonses they like to give us. — StrollerlessTribecaHottie on In the News: Burger Chain Opening on Hudson