Nicole Vianna sent along these highlights from last week’s Hudson River Park Trust board meeting. (I boldfaced a few parts.)  Thanks, Nicole!

HRP ACT
President and CEO Madelyn Wils made no mention of the pending amendments to the HRP Act, the governor’s intentions towards signing the bill, or the NID, and none of the Board members asked about those topics.

PIER 26
••• The Park got six proposals in response to the restaurant RFP, and the staff is vetting them. No details given.

••• Lay-by for restaurant:  The Board approved a contract for more than $800K to create a lay-by along the west side of West St. in front of Pier 26 for “trucks, taxis and school buses.” Since it’s extending the one that’s along the eastern edge of the skate park, it will run from about mid-way between Harrison and N. Moore to about mid-way between N. Moore and Hubert (200 ft long). It will be 35 ft. wide, including a pedestrian circulation area. That’s about three traffic lanes wide—much wider than the existing one, which is about one traffic lane wide (or about 12 ft, using the measurements from the DOT for the Varick/W. Broadway bike lane as a proxy for the width of a typical traffic lane). The bike lanes will be moved to the west side of the new lay-by. Work will proceed over the winter. It’s so expensive because there are large water mains under the area and pressure valves and hydrants need to be moved, as well as significant electrical work.

••• The Park will soon issue an RFP for the long promised estuarium, but in the meantime it’s reaching out to universities, museums, and other nonprofits to gauge interest and refine the RFP. No mention of the River Project.

••• They are going to issue a simultaneous RFP for all of the boathouses in the Park, including Pier 26. This was supposed to happen last fall, but got delayed by Sandy. Not clear what effect this would have on the Downtown Boathouse.

••• The paid concerts brought in 50,000 people. Wils said the noise reduction improvements they made were successful, and that many of the originally complaining neighbors agreed. She didn’t say anything about discontinuing the experiment, which struck me as an odd omission because her announcement that there would be no concerts next year was made after the previous Trust Board meeting.

PIER 40
••• According to Wils, the Park is going to ask FEMA for $4.5 million to replace the Pier 40 Ball Fields (claiming Sandy damage), but if FEMA refuses, they may not replace them.

WEST STREET MEDIANS
••• State DOT has agreed to reimburse the Park again for Route 9A median landscaping. Park staff had been maintaining them with the State DOT paying for the past several years, but the contract expired in June 2103, which is why they all went wild this summer.

MISC. BOARD BUSINESS
••• The Board revived and expanded the Trust Board Design sub-committee in anticipation of reviewing designs for the next new sections to be built (Pier 26, Pier 57, and Gansevoort upland). The members will be Pam Frederick (who lives in Tribeca), Diana Taylor, Joseph Rose, the NYC & NYS Parks Commissioners and the State EDC Commissioner. Friends of Hudson River Park will be invited to be involved.

••• Gregory Boroff, the new Friends Executive Director, spoke briefly.

FUNDRAISING
••• The Board created a new Strategic Planning Committee, which is charged with finding new ways to raise revenue (branding, sponsorships, public/private partnerships were mentioned). Members are Diana Taylor, Robert Steel, Pam Frederick, Paul Ullman, Michael Kuh, the NYC & NYS Parks Commissioners and the NYC EDC Commissioner. The Committee and Park Staff recommended working closely with Friends of Hudson River Park on this endeavor.

••• The Gala planning is in full swing and so far the revenue raised already surpasses last year.

••• They are working on a volunteer day and a “Friendship” membership drive in early 2014.

••• Working on a second (besides the Gala) large fundraiser in the Park, perhaps a walk/run.