Since its construction in 1931, the Starrett-Lehigh building has watched the history of New York unfold around it. Over the last thirteen years, the 19-story former warehouse has undergone a dramatic transformation, cementing the building’s legacy as a focal point and cultural hub in West Chelsea.
According to a liquor license application, the building’s newest owners RXR Realty are working with innovative hospitality group Crew to open a new restaurant and bar on the building’s tenth floor. Per Starrett-Lehigh’s website, the 10th floor will also include an outdoor terrace and lounge and 44,000-square-foot conference space.
Alex Pincus, co-founder and CEO of Crew, is listed as the manager for the restaurant on the liquor license application. The restaurant will serve food and drinks on outdoor terraces on both the 10th and 11th floors.
Pincus did not immediately respond to What Now NY’s outreach.
Per his biography, Pincus is a renowned restaurateur, architect and preservationist interested in restoring historic sailing vessels and converting marine spaces into engaging dining spaces. Pincus co-founded Crew with his brother Miles Pincus, who serves as president of their hospitality and maritime operations group.
The Pincuses’ trademark of celebrating historically significant spaces through their hospitality projects seems evident in the plans for the 10th floor of the Starrett-Lehigh Building. A description of the new restaurant’s menu attached to the liquor license application claims the restaurant “will serve vibrant, accessible, seasonally appropriate dishes that speak directly to the history of New York, its waterways, and farm lands.”
The Starrett-Lehigh was designated a Landmark Site in 1986, according to records from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Originally a freight terminal, the warehouse blends functionalist engineering with modernist design. Today the building is home to many design and fashion companies in its upper levels as well as Olly Olly Market and Hav + Mar on the ground floor.
The proposed restaurant on the 10th floors will offer brunch, lunch and dinner options. Chef Kerry Heffernan is mentioned in a description of the menu, indicating his potential involvement in the new operation.
Along with a comprehensive list of wines, craft beers and cocktails, the menu features a range of hors-d’œuvres from oyster plates and seafood towers to caviar and steak tartare. Entrées are categorized into pasta, fish, fowl and game. A brunch menu was also included.
Hours of operation were listed on the liquor license application as being 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. daily. There will be 42 tables indoors that can seat 136 guests, and the outdoor terrace will have 68 tables and 184 seats.
There is no word yet on when the restaurant will be open.
Editor’s Note: [The original version of this article misstated the name of Alex and Miles Pincus’ hospitality group. It is Crew, not Crew NY.]
