{"id":3234,"date":"2026-09-08T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/?p=3234"},"modified":"2026-09-09T08:04:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T12:04:24","slug":"speaker-menin-seeks-permanent-public-access-protections-for-city-owned-plaza-adjacent-to-guastavinos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/2026\/09\/08\/3234\/","title":{"rendered":"Speaker Menin Seeks Permanent Public Access Protections for City-Owned Plaza Adjacent to Guastavino\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK <\/strong>\u2013 New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin today called for permanent protections to ensure continued public access to the City-owned plaza adjacent to Guastavino\u2019s, following allegations that the luxury private event venue had restricted New Yorkers from accessing the space and used it for private events.<\/p>\n

In a letter sent today to Louis Rose, chairman of Rose Group Hospitality, Speaker Menin requested a meeting with Guastavino\u2019s ownership to establish a clear and durable agreement governing public access, signage, and security practices at the East 59th Street plaza.<\/p>\n

Following a public outcry and inquiries by the Speaker\u2019s office to City agencies, Guastavino\u2019s subsequently removed signage restricting public access and took steps to clarify that the plaza is open to the public. Speaker Menin is now seeking assurances that those changes will be permanent going forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemoving the signs was an important first step, but now we need a clear and lasting resolution that ensures this plaza remains open to the public and that there is no ambiguity about its use in the future,\u201d said Speaker Julie Menin. <\/strong>\u201cNew Yorkers should never have to fight for access to spaces that belong to them. I am requesting that Guastavino\u2019s meet with us to come to an agreement that resolves this issue. If that cannot happen, the Council is prepared to consider what additional action may be necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

The plaza has been the subject of a years-long dispute over public access. A recently filed lawsuit alleges that members of the public were repeatedly excluded from the space, that Guastavino\u2019s represented it as private property, and that the venue used the plaza in connection with private events. News reports have also documented instances in which visitors were confronted by private security, including one incident in which a visitor was arrested by the NYPD for trespassing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are grateful that Speaker Menin is following through on this issue and taking action to ensure that public space remains accessible to everyone,\u201d said Sean Basinski, former attorney for Street Vendor Project and one of the named plaintiffs suing Guastavino\u2019s.<\/strong> \u201cWe appreciate the Speaker\u2019s leadership in helping ensure those commitments are honored going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Speaker is considering filing an amicus curiae\u2014also known as a friend of the court brief\u2014in the ongoing litigation, clarifying the plaza’s designation as City-owned property and speaking to commitments made through the City’s land use process. Speaker Menin is first requesting a meeting with Guastavino\u2019s to determine if the issue can be resolved without further intervention from the Speaker\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

The plaza has been owned by the City since 1900, when it was purchased as a part of construction of the Queensboro bridge.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK <\/strong>\u2013 New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin today called for permanent protections to ensure continued public access to the City-owned plaza adjacent to Guastavino\u2019s, following allegations that the luxury private event venue had restricted New Yorkers from accessing the space and used it for private events.<\/p>\n

In a letter sent today to Louis Rose, chairman of Rose Group Hospitality, Speaker Menin requested a meeting with Guastavino\u2019s ownership to establish a clear and durable agreement governing public access, signage, and security practices at the East 59th Street plaza.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

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