Inwood's La Marina Doesn't Have City Approval To Reopen: Report

INWOOD, NY — The ownership group behind Inwood's La Marina are hoping to reopen the riverside restaurant and party spot this summer after being shut down by the state Liquor Authority and declaring bankruptcy, but the city may not approve the group's plans, according to reports.

The Manhattan River Group, the LLC company that owns the Parks Department concession to operate La Marina, recently filed plans in bankruptcy court to use a $150,000 loan to pay its debts and reopen on May 20, THE CITY first reported. City lawyers responded with their own court filings that indicated the Parks Department favors ousting the group from the Dyckman Street concession.

"The Debtor has defaulted on its obligations under both the Restaurant License and the Marina License," city attorney Zachary Kass wrote in a court filing submitted on May 14. "This has caused — and continues to cause — substantial harm to the City and to the public interest."

In a separate filing the city's attorneys stated that the Manhattan River Group has no plan to restore the liquor license that was surrendered when the State Liquor Authority shut down its business in December.

As recently as February, the Manhattan River Group was pitching a plan to turn around the business and reopen as a location of BBQ chain Brother Jimmy's. Joshua Rosen of the Manhattan River Group, the LLC company that owns the Parks Department concession to operate La Marina, and Brother Jimmy's founder Jimmy Goldman gave a presentation at a February Community Board 12 parks and cultural affairs committee to announce a new restaurant at the waterfront site, according to meeting minutes.

The new restaurant would "include a move towards a more family-oriented restaurant vs. a party scene," according to the minutes. Brother Jimmy's BBQ has two Midtown Manhattan locations and also operates in Westchester, Connecticut, Maryland and Florda.

The community board has previously passed resolutions asking the city to revoke Manhattan River Group's concession for La Marina and grant the concession to a group focused on restoring the publicly-accessible marina. The city's court filings accuse the Manhattan River Group of neglecting the marina concession.

In December, the business was shut down by the New York State Liquor Authority which said it will pursue a permanent revocation of the businesses' liquor license. State officials cited the recent arrest of a bar manager for narcotics trafficking and numerous violations of state liquor laws as the reason for the emergency license suspension.

Christian Mendez, 33, was arrested outside the Dyckman Street business in November and charged with seven counts of the criminal sale of a controlled substance. Mendez is accused of using La Marina as a drug den and sold large quantities of cocaine, oxycodone and marijuana to undercover officers at the business.

La Marina opened in 2012 after the Manhattan River Group struck a deal in 2009 with the city to open the business on land owned by the city Parks Department. Business owners pay the city to operate on the public parkland located where Inwood Hill Park meets Fort Tryon Park along the Hudson River.