The Rooftop at Pier 17 Cancels Conversion to Year-Round Venue

Seaport Entertainment Group (SEG), owner of The Rooftop at Pier 17, has canceled plans to convert the outdoor rooftop venue into an all-year, all-weather concert destination. Currently, the Lower Manhattan site is open for concerts from May through October. 

“After careful consideration, The Rooftop at Pier 17 will not be hosting enclosed events this winter,” SEG said in a statement announcing the cancellation. “We’re committed to delivering best-in-class events and experiences for our guests, but due to several factors we feel it is in our and our partners’ best interests not to move forward. We look forward to continuing our work on future programming for the 2026 season as our commitment to bringing one-of-a-kind performances and events to NYC’s most scenic stage during the outdoor season remains unchanged.”

Billboard was first to report the news.

A source with knowledge of the move told Commercial Observer that a combination of supply chain challenges, delays and cost fluctuations, among other considerations, made the project unsustainable. The source notes that the concept is being abandoned for “the foreseeable future.”

The Rooftop at Pier 17 has been renowned for its incredible 360-degree views of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Lower Manhattan skyline, views that were to be preserved by the addition of a climate-controlled, all-weather enclosure. 

SEG originally announced in December 2024 that a custom glass structure would be added to the 1.5-acre venue, enabling around 25 additional concerts per year that were scheduled to begin this winter. The venue’s capacity would have been modestly diminished — from 3,500 to 3,000 — for shows in the enclosure, and a VIP balcony would have been added as well. 

Anton Nikodemus, then CEO of SEG, told the live music industry trade publication Pollstar at the time of the announcement that the overwhelming consumer response to the venue inspired the idea of converting it to a year-round space, but only if the venue’s landmark views could be preserved.

“We came to an innovative solution: surrounding the venue with floor-to-ceiling glass panels during winter, that are capable of being removed annually to return The Rooftop to its renowned open-air design for summer performances,” Nikodemus told Pollstar. “Seasons change, rooftop concerts remain.”

Nikodemus, who was replaced as CEO by Matt Partridge in early September but remains a special adviser at the company until early November, also revealed at the time that SEG was consulting with the Brooklyn-based construction and design studio Heini on the development of the enclosure, and that Mancini Duffy was scheduled to serve as the architect of record. 

Performers including Ben Folds, Ripe and Loud Luxury had been scheduled to perform at the venue this December. Those shows have since been rescheduled to indoor venues including Irving Plaza and the Brooklyn Paramount.

SEG was initially a division of Howard Hughes Holdings. It was spun off into a separate public company on July 31, 2024. In addition to Pier 17, the company’s current portfolio includes 478,000 square feet of retail space in the Seaport District and the Tin Building food hall, according to previous reporting in CO.

This setback aside, SEG has made some interesting moves in the Seaport area this year.

In January, hospitality brand Grupo Gitano announced that it would be opening a 13,605-square-foot jungle-themed eatery at Pier 17. The restaurant, called Gitano NYC, is now open.

In March, SEG announced a 20-year agreement for 75,000 square feet across multiple floors at Pier 17 with immersive arts and entertainment firm Meow Wolf, which creates wildly creative interactive art experiences. This will be Meow Wolf’s seventh permanent exhibit but its first on the East Coast. Construction is just beginning, and there is no word on when the exhibit is scheduled to debut.

In August, after years of community opposition to the company’s plans for a 25-story tower at 250 Water Street, SEG sold the site to the real estate investment and management firm Tavros for $150.5 million, a 16 percent loss from the $180 million Howard Hughes paid for the site seven years prior. 

Also that month, SEG signed a 10-year renewal for its own 36,985-square-foot office at 199 Water Street, also known as One Seaport Plaza.

Restaurants The Fulton and Carne Mare are also tenants at Pier 17. 

Heini did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Mancini Duffy declined to comment for this story.

Larry Getlen can be reached at lgetlen@commercialobserver.com.