On Wednesday, Community Board 1 received an update on the latest details of the plan: an upgrade to the Embassy Suites hotel near its headquarters, and the addition of restauranteur Danny Meyer and his Union Square Hospitality Group, which is currently expanding its franchises around the city. 

Those new restaurants will be filling the void created by the departure of restaurants in the neighborhood, including Applebee's and Chevys.

"If we as a residential neighborhood can benefit from it, that's wonderful," said Linde Belfer, chairwoman of the board's Battery Park City committee. She added, though, "If all they're going to do did increase the cost of everything, then it's not so wonderful." 

slevin@observer.com