News and events in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 6, No. 66, March 12, 2023 |
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CONTENTS:
Demonstration at 250 Broadway protests Landmarks Preservation Commission
Bits & Bytes: CB1 votes 'no' on 'Robert De Niro Way'; Update on bike path terrorist
Bulletin Board: LMCC accepting workspace applications; Resources for immigrants
Estuarium design meeting invites public input
Calendar: Book Talk: Beaux-Arts architecture in New York City
Go to www.DowntownPostNYC.com for breaking news and for updated information on facility closures related to COVID-19
MASTHEAD PHOTO: Witch-hazel blooming in Hudson River Park. Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer 2023)
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Downtown Post NYC's website (www.DowntownPostNYC.com) is updated daily. That's the place to check for urgent messages, breaking news and reminders of interesting events in and around Lower Manhattan. So be sure to look at the website every day, especially if you want to know about breaking news.
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DEMONSTRATION AT 250 BROADWAY PROTESTS CO-OPTED LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION |
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Around 100 demonstrators gathered on March 7 in front of 250 Broadway where City Council’s Landmarks Preservation Commission Subcommittee was scheduled to meet. Although the meeting was deferred, the protesters spoke at length against LPC's relationship with real estate developers at the expense of the careful preservation of New York City's historic and architecturally significant structures and neighborhoods.
(Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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On the morning of March 7, the members of City Council’s Landmarks Preservation Commission Subcommittee were supposed to meet across from City Hall at 250 Broadway. They didn’t show up. But around 100 demonstrators did, armed with signs that conveyed the message that the Landmarks Preservation Commission wasn’t doing the job for which it was created in 1965. “I looked on the Landmarks Commission website [to see] what their stated purpose is — and it's to safeguard the buildings and places that represent New York City's cultural, social, economic, political and architectural history,” said Grace Lee who represents Lower Manhattan’s District 65 in the New York State Assembly. “The Landmarks Commission was established to protect New York City,” she said.
According to speaker after speaker, that’s not what it has been doing in recent years. Instead it has been colluding with real estate developers, most notably with the Howard Hughes Corporation. HHC’s efforts to erect a 324-foot-tall tower at 250 Water St. in the South Street Seaport Historic District were abetted by numerous private meetings with members of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
This is not just hearsay. On Jan. 11, 2023, Justice Arthur F. Engoron of the Supreme Court of the State of New York handed down a decision invalidating a Certificate of Appropriateness dated May 4, 2021 issued by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to approve HHC’s application for 250 Water St. Justice Engoron enjoined HHC from doing any additional construction work at 250 Water St. absent a further court order.
Among other things, Justice Engoron’s decision included information about HHC representatives meeting repeatedly with Landmarks Preservation Commission staff. “In fact, LPC scheduled a recurring bi-weekly ‘project meeting’ with representatives of the Hughes Corp. to discuss, inter alia, how to provide ‘political cover’ for the Tower by ‘emphasizing the linkage of air rights transfer” to the survival of the financially imperiled South Street Seaport Museum, Justice Engoron noted. “Moreover, the week before the first public hearing, LPC senior staff met privately with Hughes Corp. representatives to conduct a ‘practice hearing.’” The private meetings with Hughes Corp. continued.
At the next public hearing, on Jan. 12, 2021, two of the LPC Commissioners, John Gustafsson and Michael Goldblum, “objected to Hughes Corp. linking the survival of the Seaport Museum with approval of the proposed Tower.”
In fact, that linkage was completely contrary to the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s legal marching orders, which were (and are) to consider each application solely on the basis of its architectural and aesthetic features, its historical significance and its relationship to the architecture of other nearby buildings.
Justice Engoron’s Jan. 11, 2023 decision noted that LPC Chair Sarah Carroll responded to the objections raised by Gustafsson and Goldblum by suggesting that LPC “take no action” and “ask the applicants to take some time to consider all comments.”
In the aftermath of that day, the private meetings between LPC senior staff and Hughes Corp. continued. So did the conjoining of HHC’s tower-building plans with supposed financial benefits for the South Street Seaport Museum. Commissioner Goldblum opposed the linkage. “Tying the life of the Seaport Museum to the outcome of this application is deeply unfair and it’s a devil’s bargain,” he said. Commissioner Gustafsson concurred. “I agree with just about every word that Commissioner Goldblum uttered earlier,” he said.
Speaker after speaker at the demonstration in front of 250 Broadway on March 7 conveyed their dismay at what the Landmarks Preservation Commission has been doing in various New York City neighborhoods for years. The 250 Water St. lawsuit and Justice Engoron’s decision brought the problem into the open with incontrovertible evidence. — Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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City Council Member Christopher Marte, speaking at the demonstration on March 7 that deplored the recent activities of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
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City Council Member Christopher Marte said that he thought that LPC Chair Sarah Carroll should resign and that there should be a new board of Commissioners. “Historically it’s been the Landmarks Commission that has held real estate accountable,” Marte said. “Now what we see it do – sell it off to the highest bidder. But we’re here to say enough is enough. We have told the people of New York that we can’t wait, that we’re willing to fight. That we’re willing to invest everything we need. And this is just a wake-up call to the LPC, that we’re not stopping the fight now just because of a few victories. We’re going to keep on fighting until we have a new, complete board. And we’re calling our mayor, in this administration, to listen to the people of New York — to get an LPC that represents our community and to keep developers honorable.” — Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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"Today is about democracy. When our public agencies meet over 50 times with developers but refuse to meet with the community, we have a problem in our democracy. When we take action, we bring hope."
— Vittoria Fariello, Downtown District Leader (next to Michael Kramer of the Seaport Coalition, which was among the organizers of the demonstration.)
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Frampton Tolbert, Executive Director of the Historic Districts Council
(Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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I stand here today with partners from across the city to ask the City Council Landmarks Subcommittee to hold an oversight hearing on the LPC immediately. We believe that the LPC is in need of reform both in its rules and its processes so that it can accurately reflect the needs of community preservation in New York City.
—Frampton Tolbert, Executive Director of the Historic Districts Council
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The demonstration at 250 Broadway on March 7 against the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and its hand-in-glove relationship with developers was sparked by information that emerged in a lawsuit heard in the Supreme Court of the State of New York about how the LPC covertly aided the Howard Hughes Corporation in its plans to build a 324-foot-tall tower at 250 Water Street in the South Street Seaport, but the issues unveiled in that lawsuit extend to many other New York City neighborhoods.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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Warm Up with Tea and Snacks
from Té Company
The tea room at 163 West 10th St. is currently open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. Starting March 14, the tearoom will open on Tuesdays and, on weekends, will open at 11 a.m. instead of noon.
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Bits & Bytes
MUSEUM PROPOSAL FOR AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND; STUBHUB RELOCATES TO 3 WORLD TRADE CENTER; CB1 VOTES 'NO' ON 'ROBERT DE NIRO WAY'
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Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) (second from left) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives on Feb 27, 2023 to build a museum and education center at the African Burial Ground in Lower Manhattan. Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) (third from right) had introduced a similar bill in 2007. |
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"Goldman bill would establish a museum on site of massive African burial ground in Lower Manhattan," amny.com, 2/27/2023. "Congress Member Dan Goldman (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn) introduced a bill on Monday to build a museum and education center on the site of a massive African burial ground in Lower Manhattan, including $15 million for the museum’s first year that could go toward any aspect of getting it up and running," amny.com reports. "In addition to the $15 million, the bill — dubbed the 'African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center Act' — also includes unspecified amounts for subsequent years and 'such sums necessary' for acquiring a site and building the structure. Goldman unveiled the renewed legislative push alongside [Congress Member Jerrold] Nadler on the site of the African Burial Ground National Monument at 290 Broadway on Monday morning. During his remarks, Goldman emphasized the importance of highlighting Black history now, because of the conservative push to limit Black history curriculums in schools across the country. For the complete article, click here.
"NYC Councilman Chris Marte tells constituents he can’t immediately reprimand aide accused of sexist rant: ‘I wish’," New York Daily News, 3/1/2023. "Manhattan Councilman Christopher Marte told angry constituents Tuesday he wishes he could immediately reprimand a top aide accused of harassing a female journalist — but that bureaucratic protocols are preventing him from taking action," according to the Daily News. "The Marte aide, Steven Wong, allegedly lobbed a torrent of sexist slurs in four Feb. 15 voicemails to Lotus Chau, a reporter at Chinese-language Sing Tao Daily, in regards to a story she’d written that he had taken issue with, as first reported by The News last week. Since then, pressure has mounted for Marte to fire Wong, culminating in a Community Board 3 meeting Tuesday night, in which multiple constituents grilled the Democratic Council member on why the staffer remains employed in his office. Marte, who represents a chunk of lower Manhattan that includes Chinatown, told the constituents that Wong’s alleged comments to Chau were 'totally unacceptable.' But he also said his hands are effectively tied at the moment because the legislative chamber’s general counsel office is conducting an investigation into the accusations against Wong." For the complete article, click here.
"StubHub Relocates Headquarters To 3 World Trade Center In Financial District, Manhattan," New York YIMBY, 3/9/2023. "StubHub, one of the world’s largest online destinations for ticketed live events, will establish its new headquarters at 3 World Trade Center in Manhattan’s Financial District," New York YIMBY reports. "In an effort to consolidate its commercial footprint, the company will close multiple locations in Midtown, and instead occupy 44,000 square feet of 3 World Trade Center’s 59th floor. Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbor + Partners, 3 World Trade Center was completed in 2018 and now features asking rents around $125 per square foot, according to a statement from Silverstein Properties which represented the landlord in lease negotiations with StubHub." For the complete article, click here.
"Tribeca board thumbs nose at ‘Robert De Niro Way’," New York Post, 3/11/2023. "A Tribeca panel thumbed its nose this week at naming the northeast corner of Franklin and Greenwich streets 'Robert De Niro Way' in honor of the Oscar winner’s 80th birthday," the New York Post reports. “'I just don’t see why he has to have a street named after him … He already has recognition. People all over the world know him,” sniffed Community Board 1 member Patricia Moore. Moore was unimpressed that the 'Taxi Driver' actor cofounded the Tribeca Film Festival after 9/11 to revitalize the area, saying he didn’t do enough to help those most impacted by the terrorist attacks. The corner commemoration would mark the headquarters of the Tribeca Film Festival as well as the location of De Niro’s Tribeca Grill and his Tribeca Film Center." For the complete article, click here.
"NYC bike path killer doesn't testify in death penalty phase," Washington Post, 3/1/2023. "The man convicted of killing eight people in a terrorist attack on a Manhattan bike path declined to testify in the death penalty phase of his trial Wednesday, just as he had before the jury returned guilty verdicts several weeks ago," the Washington Post reports. "Sayfullo Saipov, 35, declined the invitation to speak on his own behalf offered by U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick before proceedings concluded for the week. Twice, he said 'not now' when asked if he wanted to testify. Afterward, the defense rested. Earlier in the day, his mother cried and his sister sobbed as they told jurors that Saipov was not capable of such an attack before falling under the spell of terrorists who wanted to kill innocent civilians. A jury that convicted him may begin deciding as early as next Tuesday whether Saipov will face death or life in prison for killing the eight and seriously injuring nearly 20 others on Halloween in 2017." For the complete article, click here.
"Death Penalty Deliberations Start Over in NYC Terror Case After Juror No-Show," nbcny.com, 3/9/2023. "The jury deciding whether to put convicted NYC bike path killer Sayfullo Saipov to death had to restart that part of the deliberations Thursday because a juror was missing," NBC News reports. "The absence ended up being excused. The federal judge opted for an alternate, siding with the prosecution, rather than a mistrial as the defense requested; the previous jury of 12 convicted Saipov of killing 8 people in a 2017 terror attack in Manhattan...Deliberations in a rare New York death penalty case had to start over Thursday, less than a day into the discussions, because of a missing juror -- whose absence ended up excused because his brother had a heart attack." For the complete article, click here.
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On the morning after Sayfullo Saipov drove a truck down the bicycle path linking Houston and Chambers Streets in Hudson River Park, killing eight people and injuring 11 people, damaged bicycles lay next to West Street in Tribeca.
This picture was taken at dawn on Nov. 1, 2017 © Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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The Greek at Greca
452 Washington St. in Tribeca
Breakfast and lunch served daily. Dinner is also served from Thursday to Sunday.
Hours: Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays to Wednesdays. Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays. Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Email: info@thegreektribeca.com
Phone: (917) 261-4795
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HUDSON RIVER PARK TRUST'S NEWLY APPOINTED
ESTUARIUM DESIGN TEAM INVITES PUBLIC INPUT
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A windy morning on the Hudson River. Jan. 31, 2013. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
On Feb. 27, Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) had an online meeting regarding the Estuarium which HRPT is going to build on the upland side of Pier 26. The purpose of the meeting was to solicit ideas from the public as to some of the things that should be considered in the design. The Estuarium will educate visitors about the Hudson River, including its land and water environment and will conduct research on the river and its ecosystem. The Hudson River Park Trust, through its River Project, will be the operator of the Estuarium.
The Hudson River Park Trust recently hired a comprehensive design team led by a Tribeca-based firm, Sage and Coombe, as the Architect of Record and EHDD Architecture, as the Design Architect for this project. Before starting the building design, the team is incorporating community comments. It is also confirming survey and geotechnical information, verifying flood zone requirements and determining Hudson River water and aquatic wildlife support systems.
The participants in the online meeting were broken up into smaller groups so that everyone would have a chance to comment. The comments reflected a broad range of interests and backgrounds, depending on previous interactions with the River Project and with the Hudson River itself.
Among the suggestions from participants were these: Consider the size and logistics for school groups
; Plan for water access at the river level
; In planning site access, consider traffic and bicycle congestion and bikeway crossings; Make sure that there are adequate restroom facilities; Address bird safety concerns
; Design so that access for boaters will not be compromised; Consider the past, present and future of the river; Educate students, teachers and visitors about the river itself; Consider other locations as satellite locations for the Estuarium. These could be used as classrooms and for data sensors; Create a fully engaging space for those with disabilities
; Ensure that fluent knowledge of English is not a barrier; Provide information about the past state of the Hudson River and how it has improved; Engage with local community colleges (in their biology classes, for instance)
; Include the history of the original inhabitants of the area (the Lenape)
; Provide opportunities for community engagement
; Emphasize the connectedness of various aspects of the river and its ecosystems
; The Estuarium should be hands on — not a precious workshop atmosphere and not a museum
; Make it clear why the river is valuable.
Additional comments for the design team can be sent to estuariumproject@gmail.comdroppable-1678135096181
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Fishing at Pier 25 in Hudson River Park on City of Water Day. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
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Bulletin Board
FEDERAL PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY EXPIRING; RESOURCES FOR IMMIGRANT NEW YORKERS; LMCC ACCEPTING WORKSPACE APPLICATIONS
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Resources for immigrant New Yorkers: The Mayor's Office for Immigrant Affairs publishes a guide of resources for immigrant New Yorkers. It's available free in 52 languages. For answers to questions about how to access City services, immigrants can consult the guide, call the NYC Immigrant Affairs Hotline at (212) 788-7654 from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or email askmoia@cityhall.nyc.gov. For the URL to the resource guide for immigrant New Yorkers, click here. |
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Federal Public Health Emergency expired: The federal Public Health Emergency will expire on May 11. Now lab tests, vaccines and Paxlovid will be subject to each health insurance company’s policies, and not necessarily free. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a press release (Feb. 9, 2023) "It is important to note that the Administration’s continued response to COVID-19 is not fully dependent on the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, and there are significant flexibilities and actions that will not be affected as we transition from the current phase of our response. The Administration is committed to ensuring that COVID-19 vaccines and treatments will be widely accessible to all who need them. There will also be continued access to pathways for emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for COVID-19 products (tests, vaccines, and treatments) through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and major telehealth flexibilities will continue to exist for those participating in Medicare or Medicaid. Access to COVID-19 vaccinations and certain treatments, such as Paxlovid and Lagevrio, will generally not be affected. To help keep communities safe from COVID-19, HHS remains committed to maximizing continued access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments." For more information, click here.
9/11 Memorial & Museum's Annual Run/Walk: Run or walk in commemoration of the nearly 3,000 lives lost on September 11 with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, which is hosting its 11th annual 5K run/walk on April 30. You can sign up now by clicking here. If you are a 9/11 family member, local first responder, active U.S. military or veteran, you are qualified for discounted pricing. Email runwalk@911memorial.org for more details.
LMCC again accepting Workspace applications: The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) recently announced that for the first time in three years it is accepting applications for its Workspace program. Workspace is a nine-month studio-based program that provides emerging artists with round-the-clock access to semi-private studios in donated office space. Throughout the Workspace residency, dialogues with peers and arts professionals nurture experimentation, creative risk taking, collaboration, learning and skill sharing. Workspace 2023-2024 applications and program guidelines are now available. The application deadline in Tuesday, April 18 at 5 p.m. LMCC seeks to create a welcoming, diverse and dynamic cohort of individuals working across disciplines, including but not limited to visual arts, film, performance art, social practice, design, digital media, and the literary arts. Applicants should review program guidelines and offerings to determine applicability to their practice. For more information, click here.
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Artists who were recipients of grants from the LMCC's Workspace program displayed some of their work at a show organized by LMCC.
(Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer, April 28, 2017)
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Some of the Downtown Post NYC bulletin board listings are now on the Downtown Post NYC website. To see the bulletin board listings, click here.
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To see the events and activities on the Battery Park City Authority's winter calendar, click here. Most events are free. For some, reservations are required. |
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CALENDAR
Spotlight: Skyscraper Museum Book Talk
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Grand Central Terminal. The statue, “Transportation,” was designed by the French sculptor Jules-Felix Coutan. It depicts Minerva, Hercules and Mercury, the messenger of the gods. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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March 14: Beaux-Arts Architecture in New York City: The Skyscraper Museum at 39 Battery Place in Battery Park City is presenting a virtual book talk with architect and author Phillip James Dodd who will discuss his new book, "An American Renaissance: Beaux-Arts Architecture in New York City." It focuses on 20 of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in the city and recalls the lives of the people who commissioned, designed and erected these buildings, some of them world-renowned landmarks, some more obscure and seldom visited. The American Renaissance corresponded with the Gilded Age, roughly from the 1870s to the 1930s – when New York acquired and displayed its wealth and sophistication with complete confidence. Time: 6 p.m. Free. To register for the webinar, click here. It will also be live-streamed on the Skyscraper Museum's YouTube channel. |
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Beaux-Arts architecture in Lower Manhattan includes what is now the National Museum of the American Indian at 1 Bowling Green. The building was designed to serve as a United States custom house. It was designed by Cass Gilbert and opened in 1907. |
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
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Downtown Post NYC is emailed to subscribers once a week.
Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer
All articles and photographs in Downtown Post NYC are copyrighted and
may not be reprinted or republished without written permission.
© 2023
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