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In the News: Bogardus Plaza’s Egg Chairs
••• Tribeca Trib recaps the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s discussion about the Bogardus Garden/Plaza/Park redo; “lacking a quorum, the commission did not vote on the plan and is expected to consider it again this month.” A major point of discussion: the fantastic egg-shaped “chairs” that are meant to offer short-duration seating, nod to the neighborhood’s butter-and-egg past, and not allow for sleeping. “Christabel Gough of the Society for the Architecture of the City took exception to the historic—if not prehistoric—appropriateness of the objects. ‘No bird within human memory has ever laid an egg of the dimensions of these playful seating objects,’ she testified. ‘Perhaps dinosaurs were capable of such a feat.'” The literalness of her thinking is breathtaking. (Rendering courtesy Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects)
••• North Cove Marina update from Downtown Post NYC: “On Jan. 2, the BPCA stationed security guards at the marina to keep Fortenbaugh and his supporters from gaining access.”
••• Downtown Post NYC ran an aerial rendering of Pier 17 that I don’t recall seeing before. It makes the building look very H-shaped….
••• “At least 27 clients of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s recently revealed second law firm received state-authorized real estate tax breaks, a Capital New York analysis has found. That they could even take advantage of the tax abatements in question is due in no small part to Silver, who has provided crucial support as speaker for the program that made those breaks available.” —Capital New York
••• “At a public meeting on Dec. 1, 2014 organized by Friends of the Seaport, a pro-Howard Hughes Corporation group, [E.V.P. Christopher] Curry showed a slide that read, ‘Total Infrastructure and Community Benefits Costs: $305,000,000.’ Where did that figure come from? Ken Sacharin, a member of the audience wanted to know. He didn’t get a clear answer, nor would one have been possible. Some of what HHC is proposing by way of community benefits would be impossible, improbable or impractical—or even not wanted in the way and form that HHC has introduced them.” —Downtown Post NYC
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i just like to add that the “friends of the seaport” have have a representative out on greenwich street constantly asking people to sign a petition for “south street seaport rehabilitation.” he has no information about the proposals other than saying that things were destroyed during sandy and they need rehabilitation. disingenuous to say the least…
In his defense, if you ask him if it’s for or against development, he will say “for development”.
At this point why would anyone propose not rehabbing the seaport? The place has been a mess for years and at this point why delay???
The only people who seem to be against the plan are just crusty old geezers who hate everything in life or corrupt downtown lobbyists looking to line their scummy pockets with kickbacks.
Down with the geezers and scum I say!
Agree 100%. The entire area needs a serious remake. Those opposing the redevelopment have little to nothing to contribute to the conversation besides the typical anti-development speak. Interestingly, I have found that most of the opposition are temporary inhabitants (i.e., renters), who are unlikely to live in the area through the long-term. Most home owners that I have spoken with favor the redevelopment.
Having had a successful, embraced and unique small storefront at the heart of the Seaport, which was destroyed by Sandy, and having witnessed first hand what Howard Hughes Corp is capable of, and what they are doing to the local merchants (and these aren’t your fly by night tenants nor geezers, as I am in my forties, pretty hip to what’s going on, and have lived in NYC since college), there is more to this than meets the eye. Redevelopment is embraced by many, however, redevelopment to make the seaport a glitzy ugly mall with no sign of local culture… no. Rents alone offered by Howard Hughes are outrageous, and naturally, only big Mall type corps can really afford this. HH has kept its Seaport real estate closed for two years on purpose… Retail 101 …no traffic means no money. They don’t care, they can afford to do this…but the small stores and local mom and pops have closed or are suffering. They want to own the Seaport. And currently they own only about 80% of it. Redevelopment is favored by all…the Seaport is one of the most beautiful and underutilized areas in NYC. But take five minutes to scratch beneath the surface before making such judgmental calls about what the supposed “geezers” are saying, and make an educated argument.
Regarding the eggs at Bogardus Park, I think they are a cute design element that is not needed in this space. It functions so well now as a gathering spot for grown-ups to chat, eat, rest etc. I have nothing against kids, but they are well provided for with playgrounds in TriBeCa. The toddler attempting to climb up the egg in the picture looks like an accident ready to happen.