Capalino + Company - Government & Community Relations Advocates

Museum Of The Moving Image To Open Its Redesigned And Expanded Building On January 15, 2011

The Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI), located in Astoria, Queens, is currently undergoing a $67 million transformation and expansion which is expected to be completed in January 2011.  Capalino+Company played a major role in helping MOMI secure the $58 million in public funding for the expansion program, which was designed by architect Thomas Leeser and will double the size of the museum.

Featuring extraordinary new facilities for seeing, studying, enjoying and interacting with screen culture in all its forms, and given striking new physical expression by architect Thomas Leeser, Museum of the Moving Image will welcome the public to its expanded and redesigned home beginning Saturday, January 15, 2011.

On July 8th, Rochelle Slovin, Director of Museum of the Moving Image, announced the opening date of the transformed Museum and presented an update on the progress of construction of this innovative design, which thoroughly reimagines the ground floor of the existing building and provides a remarkable three-story addition. She also announced the opening film series and the list of artists and media-makers whose works will appear in the inaugural presentations, bringing to life the redesigned and expanded building, now doubled in size (from 50,000 to 97,700 square feet) through the $67 million project.

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Central Park West Café Wins Community Board Approval for Liquor License

Central Park West Café, a proposed café and wine bar on the ground floor of the historic Century Building at 25 Central Park West, recently applied for a full liquor license for the venue. The residents of both 25 and 15 Central Park West each hired lobbyists to assist them in opposing the liquor license at the Community Board. 

The Café owner turned to Capalino+Company for help in devising a strategy to respond to the valid concerns of neighbors and dispel certain incorrect information while building support within the community and on the Community Board to achieve approval of the application.

Capalino+Company undertook an extensive community outreach program to neighbors, community leaders and other concerned parties to clarify any open issues regarding the use of the facility, physical alterations, and to address significant misrepresentations made by the opponents.  A 25 page booklet was created to identify the café operator, his proposed establishment, menus and letters of support.

Capalino+Company then organized meetings with each Condominium Board, provided a tour of the facility for the residents, and even provided a tour of a similar establishment in Manhattan in an effort to dispel concerns that the project would be something other than what was proposed. 

The final approach including drafting a series of enforceable stipulations that were designed to address the concerns of the residents and community board members and demonstrate the operator’s intent.  

Through the use of significant community consultation and attaching stipulations to the application Capalino+Company eliminated all concerns that had been raised by providing thorough information and anticipating questions.

The Community Board approved the liquor license application overwhelmingly by a vote of 22-11 and it now moves on to the state Liquor Authority for final approval.