A tony Upper East Side art gallery is pressing the city for permits that could potentially turn it into a hot spot that would put Studio 54 to shame.
The Frick Collection has filed an application to open up 17 new bars and hold events that could last until 4 a.m. — a proposal that angry neighbors say will transform the 88-year-old facility near Central Park on East 70th Street into a modern “high-class party space.”
The Frick’s liquor license application obtained by The Post even says all 14 of its floors — possibly even some conservation areas of American industrialist Henry Clay Frick’s former estate — will be open to all-night events without limits on capacity.
And while the gallery claims they don’t actually plan to open that many bars in their nearly 200,000 square foot building, worried nearby residents aren’t so sure and want the proposal radically toned down.
“There is no museum in the City of New York that is throwing parties ’til 2 a.m.,” a source in the Manhattan Community Board 8 told The Post.
“And the notion they wanted to convert The Frick to a catering hall with events that go to all hours is crazy.”
Members of the East 70th Street Block Association have now written to the Community Board asking it to make the art gallery agree to a number of stipulations, including opening only five liquor bars at a time, implementing a 400-person capacity for the collection areas as well as a 9 p.m. event time.
Until they can reach an agreement, the East 70th Street Block Association says The Frick’s liquor application should either be denied or withdrawn by the museum.
“It is hard to fathom how many attendees would warrant 17 liquor service bars with 204 linear feet of bartenders,” East 70th Street Block Association attorney and former Upper East Side City Councilman Ben Kallos said in the letter obtained by the Post.
“The Block Association was shocked,” he added.
The letter went on to say that the community group “supports The Frick Collection’s educational mission and The Frick Collection’s need to expand the space dedicated to educational activities.”
“However, the Block Association representing the residential community opposes turning The Frick Collection into a high-class party space.”
But representatives for The Frick have so far insisted that nothing about its operations would change under the proposal when it reopens after its $160 million renovation and expansion project is completed late next year.
“The Frick will be programming its spaces as it did previously, with a focus on the art,” a spokesperson for the museum told The Post.
“With the completion of the renovation and enhancement project, the Frick will have a small restaurant on the second floor of its reception hall. The application is structured to accommodate the restaurant as well as events at the Frick, aligned with our previous and current operations.
“We are continuing to have clarifying conversations with our neighbors about these plans.”
Attorney Jonathan Bing also claimed that the “primary purpose of this application” is for a new restaurant at the site.
“There will be a limited number of events in the building, as there always have been, probably dating back since 1934,” Bing, a former state Assemblyman, told the Patch.
In fact, the application obtained by The Post does specify that it is for the new restaurant on site.
It also says, however, that the proposed premises will be located on all 14 floors of the museum and suggests booze service throughout the space for special events.
Kallos — who once served as Bing’s chief of staff — argues that is too much.
“If it was for a 900 foot square foot restaurant, we wouldn’t be here,” he told the Patch. “It’s for 11 floors in some places, 14 floors in others.”
Bing said Kallos’ comments that he was “not following the rules… hurts me personally.”