$10M Governors Island renovation to bring new dining options, event venues: ‘Accessible, year-round destination’

A former weapons arsenal on Governors Island is getting a $10 million facelift that will bring new dining options and a large event space to the island that sits in the heart of New York Harbor, according to media reports.

In addition to reimagining Taco Vista, a casual Mexican fare that has been on the 172-acre island since 2018, the historic Building 140 will house Priscilla’s, a year-round cafe with light fare and crafted cocktails, and the Riverline, an indoor-outdoor full-service restaurant, according to amNY.

There will be a commissary kitchen servicing all three eateries and event space offering scenic waterfront views for weddings and corporate events, all operated by the Mexican eatery.

Aerial view of the Governors Island with Brooklyn New York in the background.
A former weapons arsenal on Governors Island is getting a $10 million renovation. Tierney – stock.adobe.com

The project — which includes about $1 million in city funds — is slated to open in fall 2025.

It will be one of the first adaptive reuse projects on the island with 100% electric operations, The Trust for Governors Island officials told amNY.

Restorative work on the 10,000-square-foot administrative building, erected by the US Army in 1875, will include flood resiliency, and replacing and repairing bricks and windows, New York Business Journal reported.

This marks the latest effort to make the island “an accessible, year-round destination for [its] nearly one million visitors,” Clare Newman, the trust’s president and CEO, said previously.

Signs that say "Governors" and "Island" at a ferry dock.
The city will contribute about 10% of the $10 million renovation of a former weapons arsenal on Governors Island. Michael – stock.adobe.com

The island was opened to the public year-round in 2021.

In May, The Post reported that the island’s massive Italian day spa QC NY was expanding with a new building, a restaurant and various wellness offerings set to open in July.

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