As previously reported, Noah Tepperberg appeared before Community Board 4’s licensing committee last night to reveal his plans for the Earth space. A little background: The team behind Cain and Goldbar went after the venue about eight months ago, only to pull out after community opposition. Tepperberg has signed an agreement with the current operators to take over their lease pending CB approval, but even after extensive discussion last night, it’s uncertain whether that will be granted. Tepperberg plans to run the joint as a lounge/restaurant that will serve a full menu until its 4 a.m. closing time. It’ll be half the size of Marquee and won’t have a cabaret license or employ promoters. “I’m getting a little older,” Tepperberg said, “And my friends and clientele have grown up.”
Tepperberg promised to bring a more upscale, Manhattan-based crowd — less like the one currently frequenting Earth, and more like the one at 1Oak nearby. “A lot of the people who will be coming here are already going to 1Oak,” he noted in order to assuage concerns about congestion. Members of the board were sympathetic, conceding that the Roxy probably won’t be making a comeback, praising Tepperberg for his micromanagement at Marquee, and even calling upon him, should he receive a license, to use his proven expertise to help control crowds at neighboring clubs. However, the committee found it odd, given the previous opposition to Cain, that only two people showed up to protest (and not all that adamantly), so it instructed Tepperberg to meet with neighborhood associations. The outcome of those meetings will determine whether the full board will recommend an approval during its full meeting on December 3. All in all, not the green light Tepperberg and his investors had hoped for, but hey, way better than getting a Wass-like smackdown.
