A mixed-use development is slated for the site of the iconic former Wythe Diner (most recently Cafe De La Esquina) in Williamsburg, Brownstoner reports.
In a potential move signaling what’s to come, the Wythe Diner sign was removed on Thursday from atop the 50s-era building on Wythe Avenue and N 3rd Street in Williamsburg.
Brownster observed at the shuttered diner on Thursday “a taped-up package roughly the size and shape of the diner sign rested against the front of the building,” along with people coming and going from the diner, and a sign taped to the front window stating “Whythe Diner is Closed.”
More from Brownstoner:
The space was home to the Wythe Diner from 1968 to 1988. Later, the restaurant Relish ran in the space from 1997 to 2010. Mexican joint Cafe De La Esquina, the Brooklyn outpost of the scene-y Manhattan restaurant La Esquina, opened in 2011and closed in 2018. … In December, the Department of Buildings approved plans for a six-story building with 10 apartments at the site. The plans, filed in 2014, call for a ground floor retail space and an outdoor recreation space on the second floor, with apartments above.While building records don’t indicate whether plans call for rentals or condos, the units will be sizable, including two that will each occupy an entire floor at the top of the building and could potentially clock in around 2,800 square feet apiece.
Demolition permits haven’t been filed with the city yet, and it’s unclear if the metal diner will be salvaged.