Rene Pulido genuinely wants to give back to and improve the St. Nicholas neighborhood. I've talked to him a few times and his desire to bring new business to the area is clear. That said, I don't know that this project will accomplish that. An oversized F&B venue at $25psf construction costs is tough to understand. This is bigger than a CVS inside and the interior rendering looks expansive. Maybe breaking the space up in to 3-4 retail bays with a 250 seat restaurant on the end and a few other tenants would be a better use of the space. I think he should have taken on a more experienced partner to help design the concept and break maximize the utility of the property.
