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RECENT NEW YORK CITY PLANNING NEWS
Bronx Groups Unhappy With Yankee Stadium Replacement Parks
August 19, 2008 | New York Daily News
Bronx residents, community groups, and advocacy groups are dissatisfied with the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation’s attempt to replace parkland that was lost when the construction of the new Yankee Stadium began. The new stadium is being constructed on 22 acres of continuous parkland, while the replacement parks are spread throughout the South Bronx and vary in size between 0.24 and 8.9 acres. The cost to replace the 22 acres of parkland used for the stadium has increased substantially from $95.5 million to $174 million and the date of completion for some parks may be postponed at least two years. The Department of Parks and Recreation expects all of the replacement sites to be completed in 2011.
Critique of the New Museum of Arts and Design Building: Two Buildings in One
August 18, 2008 | Other
New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger provides a dual critique of the Museum of Arts and Design’s new home at 2 Columbus Circle. From the outside, he laments that the renovated structure resembles too closely the building it replaced, the nearly windowless building once called the “Lollipop Building.” From the inside however, the building, which once housed Huntington Hartford’s largely unsuccessful Gallery of Modern Art, has been transformed into a completely new space, which Goldberger calls “functional, logical, and pleasant to be in.”
Brooklyn Residents Lament Lack of Access to Governors Island
August 15, 2008 | New York Times
Amidst the buzz around Governors Island and its ongoing redevelopment, some Brooklyn community leaders are making noise about the island’s inaccessibility for Brooklyn residents. Governors Island is a mere 400 yards from the Brooklyn waterfront, yet a trip from Red Hook to the island would involve about an hour and a half of traveling on a bus, two subways, and a ferry. The water taxi service between the island and Red Hook was terminated last summer due to lack of subsidies from the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation. There have been a few proposals to make Governors Island’s development more inclusive, including a proposal for the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn to share the island, which is legally part of Manhattan, and the proposed gondola service connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan via Governors Island. Yet some Brooklynites worry that as the island gets developed, they will be left out and it will become an “exclusive preserve for Manhattan visitors.”
Port Authority Puts Limit on Contribution to 9/11 Memorial
August 15, 2008 | New York Post
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has announced a $195 million cap on its contribution to the 9/11 memorial planned for the World Trade Center site. The greatest financial commitment to the 8-acre memorial, $530 million, will come from the memorial’s foundation, which is directed by Mayor Bloomberg.
New Baseball Stadiums to Open Next Spring
August 15, 2008 | New York Post
The new Mets and Yankee stadiums have announced opening dates for next year. The Mets Citi Field will open on April 14 while the new Yankee stadium will open on April 16. The Mets first broke ground in 2006 and the Yankees announced construction plans in 2005.
Legislation Introduced that Would Require Financial Report before Eminent Domain Used
August 14, 2008 | Crain's New York Business
Council Member Hiram Monserrate introduced legislation on Thursday that would require a financial report to be produced before eminent domain could be used. The legislation would require local development corporations to conduct a study on the costs and benefits of a project, any additional tax revenue from the project over a three year period and any assistance that the city must provide for the project financially. The reports would be given to anyone who participates in the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). Council Member Monserrate would like to pass the legislation before the Willets Point plan is approved. If passed, the legislation is not likely to affect other large project that will use eminent domain to seize property including Atlantic Yards and Columbia University’s expansion.
Latest Atlantic Yards Lawsuit Sparks Legal Interest
August 14, 2008 | Brooklyn Papers
The latest lawsuit filed to stop the Atlantic Yards project is based off a provision in the New York State Constitution that prohibits subsidies to be used on renewal projects that will only provide affordable residential units. Lawyers and other legal scholars are interested in the argument and what it will mean for the project moving forward.
Renovated Parks Financed from Croton Filtration Plant Agreement Open in the Bronx
August 14, 2008 | New York Times
Four recently renovated parks in the Bronx opened to the public. The renovations to the park facilities were financed through a fund of $200 million that was set aside for by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the city’s Municipal Water Finance Authority to make up for loss of parkland and community disturbance during the Croton Water Filtration Plant construction. 75 projects will be financed through this fund.
Sewer Concerns Are Latest Attempt to Block St. John’s Dorm
August 13, 2008 | New York Daily News
Community members and elected officials are using the results of a recent study by an independent engineering firm that says that the dorm built by St. John’s will cause significant sewer backup to stop construction. The dorm is supposed to open next August and has faced much community opposition because of its height and density. The developer says that it has followed everything that the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has required.
CPC Rezonings Hearing Draws Protests
August 13, 2008 | New York Times
At a hearing on the rezoning of Willets Point, the Lower East Side (LES) and south Hunters Point, many in opposition to the rezoning of Willets Point protested. Council Member Hiram Monserrate, who led the opposition protest, has garnered the support of more than thirty of his colleagues in the City Council who say they will not support the rezoning until changes are made, especially regarding affordable housing and the use of eminent domain. At the hearing, 14 of the 54 people who testified oppose the Willets Point Plan. The City Planning Commission will make a recommendation on the plan next month before the City Council votes. Opponents of the LES rezoning also protested outside the hearing.