In the News: Is the Downtown Connection in Trouble?

11-north-moore-2••• “We’ve got a hunch that Tribeca condo project 11 North Moore [at Varick] is opening its sales office in August.” Sounds like more of a tip than a hunch. By the way, the sales office for Franklin Place, located next to All Good Things, looks ready to open any moment. —Buzz Buzz Home (via Curbed)

••• “Police arrested a 17-year-old man who allegedly choked and tried to rape a woman near City Hall early Sunday morning.” —DNAinfo

••• “Lower Manhattan Development Corporation Chief Wants Return of 9/11 Grant Money for 92YTribeca.” —Tribeca Trib

••• The New York Post and New York Daily News both covered the Citi Bike station kerfuffle. From the Post: “When representatives from the Department of Transportation and Citi Bike showed up yesterday, the restaurateur [Jacques Capsouto] sat in protest on the curb where the racks were to be installed. […] Capsouto backed down hours later, when cops explained that the workers had a valid permit.”

••• “The Battery Park City Authority may be reevaluating its funding commitment to support the Downtown Connection, the free shuttle bus that ferries riders between Battery Park City and the South Street Seaport.” —Broadsheet

 

3 Comments

  1. I hope they don’t discontinue the shuttle. I use it all the time, and I see all sorts of people using it, not just the corporate types Mateo refers to. It’s especially useful to those of us who live in Southern BPC. It makes getting to Whole Foods much more convenient, especially in crappy weather. I’m sure our crappy Gristedes would be glad to see the shuttle go.

  2. I agree with you Doug. With all the money the BPCA collects from PILOT taxes and disposes at their whim. The shuttle is actually something that is very useful and benefits the residents. It is very well used at all times of the day, not just by workers getting to the Staten Island Ferry.

    Problem is that Matteo and the other board members do not live in BPCA and certainly don’t care about it. It is obvious at the board meetings when they ask very basic questions, that they have never even walked around the area. They certainly have never visited key multi-million dollar projects they are managing – like Pier A and Asphalt Green, etc.

    The BPCA board makes big decisions allotting significant amounts of money that is paid for by the residents and they have no clue what goes on here.

    Matteo even said that he has never seen anyone using the Albany Street bridge. It might be because he lives in Westchester, drives in for the monthly meetings, parks his car at the WFC, so never touches the BPC pavement. Yet, he is an Authority on what the residents use and not not use.

  3. There is nothing available to ALL residents of lower Manhattan that is used as much as the Downtown Connection.To lose this would be outrageous and I truly hope that the BPCA reconsiders.