Day-O Goes Into That Goodnight

Lots of turmoil has suddenly surrounding the old Day-O restaurant space in the West Village, which has stood stagnant and vacant for so many years.

As Eater reminds us, "the diner closed for renos in summer '07 and then for good in January '08. It was repossessed last February." But apparently many people feel as well-disposed to the classic Art Deco storefront as I do. Last week, an application from a developer to the Greenwich Village Society of Historic Preservation to alter the facade was met with an preservationist uproar.

As Curbed reported, relaying the Society's account:

The applicant is proposing to remove the metal storefront and replace it with a wooden storefront. The pressed tin cornice, which exists above the door on the West 12th Street side, would be replicated for the proposed new storefront. There would be a small blade sign projecting from the corner. There would be a small light to illuminate the sign and another small light just above the door (these lights are not shown on the plans below). The large glass panels would be fixed, and the smaller, upper windows would be operable transoms.The applicant noted that although the glass in the proposed renderings appears to be an aqua color, in reality it would be clear.

Which plan, of course, would utterly destroy the complete Day-O-ness of the building.

Meanwhile, the same plan was presented to the Community Board 2's Landmarks Committee, which unanimously voted to deny the application before it was sent along to Landmarks Commission. CB2 called Day-O an example of "a beloved historic style and should be preserved."

All this love for Day-O honestly had Lost City floored. I never would have suspected such a wellspring of motherly feeling for the facade existed. I have heard many a person call it horrendously ugly.

Anyway, apparently the interior demolition of the address was OK'd in late April. But what's to happen with the outside. Must any business that takes up residency in the space call itself Day-O?