City Winery announced Wednesday that it’s in the market for a new home after Disney purchased the Varick Street building — along with the rest of the block — earlier this week for its new headquarters.
Michael Dorf, CEO and founder of City Winery’s restaurant and event space, said he plans to secure a new location and begin construction by the end of the year. City Winery must vacate Varick Street by 2020, but Dorf hopes to already have re-opened at the new location by then.
City Winery has a good relationship with the Varick Street owners, Trinity Church, Dorf said, and the company is working to find a new home nearby.
“Trinity, and now Disney, has continued to express that City Winery is a significant cultural asset to the neighborhood and would like us to stay in the area,” he said in a statement.
Emails for comment from Disney were not immediately returned.
City Winery opened in 2008 as a combination music and wine venue and became a popular venue for artists and fans alike. Some performers who have graced its stage include Aimee Mann, David Byrne and Natalie Cole.
On Monday, Disney announced its deal with Trinity Church for a 99-year lease at Four Hudson Square, which includes Varick Street. It plans to develop the block into its corporate office, live talk show studios and other media spaces. In a statement, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the building will, “incorporate the latest technology as well as the ability to adapt to the next generation of technological advances.”
Disney plans to sell its current corporate headquarters on the Upper West Side to Silverstein Properties.
Dorf urged Disney to preserve the neighborhood’s distinct, iconic “brick and beam gems” when designing its new space.
“It is my hope that the design of this new Disney building . . . will be a positive addition to the dynamism of our vibrant community,” he said in a statement.
