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Seen & Heard: How to Take Action on Asphalt Green
••• Thanks to B. for sending over Nish Nush’s posted menu (click to enlarge). He heard it might open Monday.
••• This weekend, cranes will mean that Beach between W. Broadway and Varick and Leonard between Church and Broadway will be closed during the day.
••• From the Tribeca Film Festival: “For the first time ever, the Tribeca Film Festival is offering the coveted 2013 ALL-ACCESS Hudson Pass at a discount during the holiday season only, and we are bundling it up in a Holiday Package with a limited edition TFF T-shirt and 2 Tribeca Film titles on DVD.” It includes “Access for one to ALL Evening/Weekend, Matinee/Late Night Screenings (no hard ticket required; just bring your pass!); Access for one to ALL Tribeca Talks (no hard ticket required; just bring your pass!); Access for one to TFF Filmmaker/Industry Lounge; Access for one to a TFF Filmmaker Party.” It costs $999 (vs. $1,200 otherwise).
••• Highly experienced cleaners, excellent references, been working in Tribeca for over 10 years. Looking for new clients—please contact Rosie Sierra at Rosie rosalba.sierra4@gmail.com or 718-945-5438. Sponsored.
••• Want to take action to make Asphalt Green a reality? Jamie Propp tells you how:
Battery Park City & Downtown residents, I am sad to say that after all of our efforts in October and prior, December 1, the date Dennis Mehiel, BPCA Chairman & CEO, was targeting for Asphalt Green’s grand opening, is now upon us and the long-promised Community Center is nowhere near open. There is no word from the Battery Park City Authority about a new opening date or an update on the signing of the amended contract between BPCA and Asphalt Green. Superstorm Sandy certainly caused damage to the facility, but not enough to be used as an excuse for the BPCA and related parties to go radio silent on the issue.
Being that I live in the building above the center, I can tell you that after superstorm Sandy, the wood floor from the basketball court was removed and wet sheetrock was removed from the base of all walls. In the pool building, we can see exercise equipment has been moved and sheetrock cut away too. Sometimes the AG lobby light is on and it looks like there are plans beings reviewed on a table. Other than that, there is no official statement from BPCA and no sign that repair work is beginning (such as piles of wood to lay the new floor).
If you are beyond frustrated like myself and a growing group of downtown residents, there are several action steps that you can and should take NOW.
In order of importance:
1. ATTEND Tuesday, December 4 – 6:00 PM
Community Board 1 Meeting for Battery Park City
Poets House – 10 River Terrace
Every person can sign up to speak at the opening of the meeting for 2 minutes and express their frustration with the delays and their desire to make sure Asphalt Green does not get pushed out as the operator or need to share the space with other community groups under a further amended agreement.
2. LIKE OUR FB PAGE BPCAsphaltRally: facebook.com/BPCAsphaltRally
3. EMAIL your frustration to these decision makers:
BPCA Chairman CEO Dennis Mehiel dennis.mehiel@batteryparkcity.org
BPCA president Demetri Boutris Demetri.Boutris@batteryparkcity.org
NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver silver@assembly.state.ny.us
4. WRITE TO GOVERNOR CUOMO – the only person who BPCA leadership must answer to as this Board is Governor-appointed. http://www.batteryparkcity.org/new/Who-We-Are/Board-Members/
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
5. ATTEND – Tuesday, December 4 – 10:00 AM
BPCA Board Meeting – 1 World Financial Center – 24th floor – Bring ID
All are invited to observe, but there is not time for public comment. During this meeting on Oct. 23, Chairman Dennis Mehiel, announced the progress he had made with AG to open on Dec. 1 and he publicly praised their leadership and integrity and said that they are a stand up organization that has much to offer this community
Neighbors, do not be complicit and assume that this center will magically open one day. There are all sorts of local politics at play. Be vocal and demand the best operator – Asphalt Green.
5 Comments
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Writing to Governor Cuomo is key. He holds the cards here and has been hurt politically by the post-Sandy problems. Remind him what is the right thing to do and that this will help his approval ratings.
Buy a snail mail stamp and send a letter.
Steven Greer
http://www.batterypark.tv/category/gripes/asphalt-green
If you don’t want Bob Townley to take over the AG site, please attend the meeting on Tuesday and voice your objection. Otherwise, AG will be out (in spite of 2 legal contracts) and Bob Townley and his 3rd and 4th rate programs will be in that site. The residents of downtown will be subjected to his continued and expanded low quality monopoly that has been forced upon us for years.
ATTEND Tuesday, December 4 – 6:00 PM
Community Board 1 Meeting for Battery Park City
Poets House – 10 River Terrace
Every person can sign up to speak at the opening of the meeting for 2 minutes and express their frustration with the delays and their desire to make sure Asphalt Green does not get pushed out as the operator or need to share the space with other community groups under a further amended agreement.
“Spiritual” Townley on 2009 – “I need $4 million dollars to build a space – this is chomp change. We don’t necessarily have to build, we could renovate an existing building – so really I need anything between $2.5 to $4.5 million depending on the project.” Without wanting to name names, Townley is very critical of what he calls ‘carpet beggars’: “There are more organisations present now in lower Manhattan than there were before (9/11) as they try and get a piece of the pie down here. Some businesses would never be interested in the community if it weren’t for the generous money that is coming down. I am on a higher spiritual place than that. I feel that there could be damage done if there are too many youth groups and no plan.”
more at – http://www.wallflowerdispatches.com/?p=456
Matthew Monahan from the BPCA (FYI, BPCA is 100% responsible for construction/repair of building) will be giving a full update on the status of the damage to the Asphalt Green site, repairs needed and new opening date.
Battery Park City Committee – 6:00 PM
Location: Poets House – 10 River Terrace
Please come with your questions for the BPCA and support the immediate opening of AG.
The BPCA needs to fix damage and set a new opening date, so that Asphalt Green can step in and operate in the facility
Why again should people be vocal and demand the best operator – Asphalt Green? Their organization uptown is poorly run and a joke. None of this is surprising. My kids used to go to sports classes at the Upper East Side location but literally every season (or sometimes during the season), their coach would be fired or quit.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.