Inwood's La Marina May Reopen As BBQ Chain Brother Jimmy's

INWOOD, NY — Troubled Inwood party spot and restaurant La Marina is exploring a partnership to reopen as a location of BBQ chain Brother Jimmy's, according to reports and Community Board 12 minutes.

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 did not take any action during the February meeting, but did pass a resolution in December requesting that the city Parks Department revoke Manhattan River Group's concession for La Marina and grant the concession to a group focused on the public marina rather than the restaurant business. CB 12 also recommended that the State Liquor Authority revoke the business' liquor license.

A partnership with Brother Jimmy's BBQ would allow Rosen and Manhattan River Group partner Jerold Tenenbaum to maintain ownership stakes in the business, but would result in a name change from La Marina to Brother Jimmy's Riverside, parks watchdog Geoffrey Croft reported.

Former Manhattan River Group partner Fernando Mateo is no longer with the business. In a recent interview with radio station Hot 97 Mateo said he walked away from the business due to efforts by neighborhood gentrifiers to shut La Marina down.

A spokeswoman for Brother Jimmy's BBQ did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A Parks Department spokesperson also did not respond to Patch's inquiries. This article will be updated if Patch hears back.

Manhattan River Group, which was awarded the city Parks Department concession in 2009, claims it's more than $600,000 in debt in bankruptcy papers filed in federal court in January, the New York Post first reported.

La Marina co-owner Josh Rosen told the Post: "We expect to restructure the company and reopen in May as we normally do for the season."

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 its owners 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 what was once public parkland located where Inwood Hill Park meets Fort Tryon Park along the Hudson River.