All is naut lost!
Despite ongoing fears that Manhattan’s iconic Loeb Boathouse venue would forever swim with the fishes, a fresh contract has dredged its fate from the muck.
The temporarily sunken venue has been fished out of the depths of its closure thanks to a 10-year contract signed Monday.
Gothamist first reported the agreement between the city and Legends Hospitality — which also runs concessions at other famed city venues including Yankee Stadium, One World Observatory and the Oculus Beer Garden — providing the “turnkey ‘service provider’” with the ability to operate the lakeside eatery’s restaurant, snack bar and rowboat rentals.
In exchange for the privilege, Legends must pay the city $750,000 annually in addition to a portion of the boathouse’s sales.
The development is a windfall for the popular wedding venue following former owner Dean J. Poll ringing its death knell last summer, after increased labor and insurance costs led him to lay off his 163 employees and permanently shutter the space in the fall.
“It is our intention to engage a future operator as soon as possible,” Parks spokesperson Crystal Howard assured The Post at the time, but the Boathouse’s future still hung in the balance.
As part of the deal, Legends is also responsible to invest at least $3.2 million into making various upgrades to the beloved business, including a restroom makeover and linking its dual outdoor patio areas.
The renovations are required for the landmark to reopen, which could happen in less than two months.
Currently, Legends is working with a deadline of June 1 to complete the upgrades to the historic structure, which was first built in 1873 before being redesigned and reopened in 1954.
However, that deadline is subject to Parks officials’ discretion, who wouldn’t specify when exactly the Boathouse would be back in business, Gothamist reported.
When it does reopen, guests can expect a menu with such high-end food options as $23 mushroom toast and a $25 hamburger.