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Seen & Heard: Boat Parade and F-18 Flyover
••• Boat parade today, says the Broadsheet: “At 11am, led by L’Hermione the parade begins south of the Verrazano Bridge, heads north toward the Statue of Liberty, then hugs the coastline of the westside of Manhattan up to the Intrepid Museum and back down again. L’Hermione will be joined by dozens of ships and boats. The Parade will pass Lower Manhattan around 12:30.”
••• Also today: “Two Love Missile F1-11s Navy F-18s will flyover the Hudson River near the Statue of Liberty, Saturday, July 4th. The aircrafts will depart LaGuardia at 11:30am and be over the Statue of Liberty at approximately 12:05 pm.”
••• I was thinking about the possible redevelopment of the BMCC site the other day. Would the Hudson River Park Trust be able to sell air rights from Pier 25 and 26? If I remember correctly, the air-rights proposal was for lots directly across West Street, but no one mentioned BMCC…. Then again, I have no doubt there’s a massive FAR (foor-area ratio) already.
••• No clue what the FDNY is up to right now on W. Broadway—it feels like a drill, because they were in no rush, but what a shock if that’s your window.
••• Ann Hampton Callaway is playing City Winery on Sept. 10. I saw her do an improvisation like the one below before. It was amazing.
••• Admission to the Children’s Museum of the Arts is now $12, which I assume is an increase.
••• This week’s Where in Tribeca-ish…? remains unsolved. Yes, that was a clue.
••• There was another shoot Thursday—in the Duane/Staple area—and once again it was an ad. I understand that the proposed economic value is the same whether it’s a film, TV show, or ad, but we can disabuse ourselves of the notion that all the shoots are culturally additive, as an ad type might say. (Also, that’s a real helpful phone number.)
••• Another floor of 290 West has been revealed. I said the other day that it reminded me of DUMBO, but then I was walking through Hudson Square, and I also saw a lot of these kind of warehouse windows in Hudson Square.
••• Corn at the Tribeca Greenmarket!
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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/nyregion/law-allows-hudson-river-park-to-sell-air-rights.html
“Under the new law, the trust will be able to sell air rights for developments up to one block east of the park’s boundaries, across the West Side Highway. The trust estimates that there are about 1.6 million square feet of air rights that could be transferred from a half-dozen park piers.”
Right, but what I vaguely recall—but can’t find—was proponents of this arrangement saying that there only a small handful of places along the park where it could apply, and that the only one in our jurisdiction was Pier 40. But Piers 25/26 and BMCC would seem to qualify, unless I’m missing something.
1. The Crain’s article below seems to indicate that Piers 25/26 were not considered to have saleable development rights.
2. However, does the sale of Pier 40 air rights set a precedent that the air rights must be sold only for use on a lot directly east of the source pier of the air rights? It seems unlikely that air rights from any pier within the Park could be sold for use on any lot directly east of the Park, whether north or south of the source pier of the air rights. In other words, the law is probably not to be construed so that air rights from a pier at West 58th Street could be transferred to the BMCC site.
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20140202/REAL_ESTATE/302029974/hudson-river-park-trust-eyes-air-rights-rescue
“The Hudson River Park Trust has identified seven piers whose air rights could help reap the trust nearly a half-billion dollars to fund the repair of crumbling parkland infrastructure along the river.
[…]
“The trust is looking to unload the air rights of piers from West 17th to West 58th streets to pay for much-needed repairs—namely a $110 million restoration of the crumbling 14-acre Pier 40, near Houston Street”
There’s nothing in the act that says that the air rights have to go anywhere near the pier they come from. The only stipulations are that they can only be applied to lots within 1 block east of the park (within zoning, but we know that can be changed with the necessary political will) and that money from the Pier 40 air rights have to go to fixing Pier 40 1st, with any leftover released for anything else the HRP Board wants to do. From the amended act, as posted on the HRP site (http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/assets/content/general/HRPA_Amendment_-_Chapter_517_of_the_Laws_of_2013.pdf):
To fulfill its purposes under this act, the trust shall have the following powers, functions, duties and authority subject to the limita- tions set forth in this act: …
(j) to transfer by sale any unused development rights as may be avail- able for transfer to properties located up to one block east of the boundaries of the park along the west side of Manhattan, if and to the
extent designated and permitted under local zoning ordinances provided however that revenues derived from the transfer of air rights from pier 40 must be used in the first instance for the repair of pier 40 infras- tructure including piles and roof, after which any excess revenues may be used by the trust for other uses permitted by this act. The proceeds of such sales shall be paid to and be the property of the trust. The state and the city of New York, each with respect to any transfer of unused development rights related to its real property in the park, shall expeditiously execute any required documents as may be needed to effectuate such transfer;
Of course, selling the Pier 40 air rights to Related, instead of to Fortress (e.g., Mike Novogratz, Chair of the Board of Friends of Hudson River Park) would be out of character for the group that controls HRP, but money talks.
If we have to get a wall of glass along West Street between Chambers and N. Moore, I hope the HRP Board gets the most money possible for it instead of doing a secret inside deal as was originally expected when the amendments were passed two years ago.
What is missing from this assessment is the Independence Plaza land and air rights. It is a very high probability that if BMCC goes, someone will look to combine the BMCC opportunity with that of IP. In the next 5-8 years, there will be virtually no rent stabilized apartments left at IP – sooner if the owners can more assertively get things done. I would expect the entire complex to be taken down for a massive foot print in its place. Need to think of the BMCC issue together with IP, regardless of whether the HRPT is involved.
” It is a very high probability that if BMCC goes, someone will look to combine the BMCC opportunity with that of IP. In the next 5-8 years, ”
i seriously doubt it.,
the majority of the apartments are not currently market rate. yes, the section 8 units could go away at anytime but the remaining LAP apartments have permanently below market rents for the occupants and their children that do not depend on any government programs.
the owners can kiss my a**
Wow, that’s some impressive improv songwriting by Callaway! :)