[Spoiler]

Although usually it is desirable for a building to be engaged with the street, I think this is an understandable exception. As a children's museum, maybe it's better that the landscaping separates the building from Broadway. For many museums in town, the landscaping is an essential aspect of the whole experience. Also, maybe a streetscape that is treed and bermed would be more appropriate for that particular stretch of Broadway. Directly across the street is Lions Field, with several mature trees right against the curb. If, thirty years from now, the midtown stretch of Broadway looks radically different than it does today, maybe a heavily treed stretch of road, with shady, parklike settings on either side, would be a welcome addition to the street. You never know.