A swank Brooklyn waterfront eatery operating under a sweetheart lease with the city is now seeking its blessing to expand operations with live music and dancing.
The River Cafe, which sits on city parkland next to Fulton Landing, is expected to face some opposition when it goes before Community Board 2 tonight on an application for a cabaret license, with civic groups concerned the restaurant won’t kick concession revenues toward the under-funded, long-delayed Brooklyn Bridge Park project next door.
Records show owner Michael “Buzzy” O’Keeffe pays just $5,536 a month in rent — a tiny fee for the location and the magnificent East River skyline views.
The restaurant opened in 1977 under a city lease that runs through 2025.
The River Café’s plan comes after state officials recently revealed the eatery would have to give up part of its landscaped parking area for an entrance to the park and that a competing 1,000-square-foot restaurant with a roof deck would be built nearby at Pier 6 within the park.
O’Keeffe didn’t return calls seeking comment.