Rich Caccappolo provides an overview of info presented to CB#2
At the January 8th meeting VID members reviewed Pier 55 Proposal
Keen Berger introduced Rich Caccappolo, Chair CB#2 Parks Committee; Susan Aaron, also of CB#2 but speaking on behalf of Friends of Hudson River Park and Kate Horton, a British theater executive and member of the theater production crew, that also includes George C. Wolfe, the former producer of the Public Theater and Stephen Daldry, the director and producer, for a discussion of the Pier 54/Pier 55 proposal. The proposal is described in the NY Times as, “a $170 million, futuristic park built atop an undulating platform 186 feet off the Hudson River shoreline with a series of wooded nooks and three performance venues, including an amphitheater.”
Conceived as an offering to the City by Barry Diller, chairman of IAC/InterActiveCorp and former head of Paramount Pictures and Fox, Mr. Diller has agreed to provide $130 million to build the park through a family foundation; an additional $39.5 million would come from the city, the state and the Hudson River Park Trust. Plan Details (Proposed Lease, Environmental Assessment).
VID Member discussion centered upon questions of environmental compatibility and sustainability and upon potential impact if the development had air-rights to sell. Others raised objection to the additional millions to be provided by the City and State when such funds could be used to sustain other NYC parks obligations. Still others had questions regarding the facility once the initial 20-year lease expired.
There is a Public Hearing on January 12th, from 5:30-8pm at the Eisner and Lubin Auditorium, New York University Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, 4th Floor. See The Villager’s coverage of the Jan 12th hearing.
New York Times coverage – November 2014
The Villager Coverage – December 2014
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