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Lower Manhattan’s Local News
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The Broadsheet Inc. | 212-912-1106 | editor@ebroadsheet.com| ebroadsheet.com
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‘A Thumb in the Eye’
Local Leaders Don’t Want One Broadway to Get Any Bigger
Community Board 1 (CB1) is resisting plans to add two floors to a landmarked building in the Financial District. In a resolution laced with unusually harsh language, enacted at its May 28 meeting, the Board called upon the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) — which can veto alterations to legally protected historic structures — to reject a proposal by the building’s owner, Midtown Equities, to build a glass pavilion on top of One Broadway (also known as the International Mercantile Marine Company Building), located at the corner of Broadway and Battery Place, directly adjacent to Bowling Green. The resolution summarizes the developer’s proposal with the words, “to distill the very convoluted design’s description, and despite all the narrative hoopla, it is really a preposterous glass box with a mansard surround.” In CB1’s judgement, this, “crass extension would be wildly and unflatteringly visible from Battery Park, Battery Place, and Beaver Street, and would put a thumb in the eye of every traveler approaching the southern terminus of Manhattan by water or air.”
The building at One Broadway began life in 1882 as a vastly different structure: clad in red brick, it was erected by Cyrus West Field, a Gilded Age entrepreneur who owned New York’s Mail and Express newspaper and pioneered to laying of the first two trans-Atlantic telegraph cables. Several decades after Fields’s death in 1892, financier J.P. Morgan formed a new trust company, International Mercantile Marine (later known as the United States Lines), to monopolize the business of passenger and freight shipping across the Atlantic. Seeking a suitably lavish palace and prestige address to house this venture (but also on the prowl for a bargain), he bought One Broadway, in the heart of the neighborhood then known as “Steamship Row,” and next door to competitor Cunard Lines, at 25 Broadway.
Rather than demolish the structure, Morgan had it re-clad in white limestone, added several additional floors, and decorated the facade with mosaic coats of arms trumpeting the names and histories of 20 major port cities around the world, such as Gibraltar and Antwerp, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo. These are still visible on the second-floor face of the building, as are marble lintels above the entrances, engraved with the words “First Class” and “Cabin Class.” The former ticket office on the ground floor is now a branch of Citibank, where the teller cages are the original clerks’ booths. Last year, Midtown Equities purchased the building for $180 million — a price that may be driving its push to expand the square footage within. The Landmarks Preservation Commission, which has the final say over the developer’s proposed alterations to the structure (and can choose to be guided by CB1’s resolution, or ignore it), is scheduled to hold hearing on these plans today. Matthew Fenton
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Greater Goods and Lessor Evils
Gateway Affordability Rally Draws Large Crowd; Multiple Elected Officials Pledge Support
Hundreds of residents of Gateway Plaza braved ominous weather to attend a tenants’ rally along the Esplanade on Sunday evening, and hear a succession of elected officials pledge their support to the campaign for extended and expanded affordability protections at Battery Park City’s largest apartment complex. The event was organized and hosted by the Gateway Plaza Tenants Association(GPTA), which represents the 1,700-plus households in the community’s first residential development. To read more…
Matthew Fenton
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Menhir for the Men and Women Who Came Here
A Stele for Survivors Honors Those Who Came Back, and Those Who Chose to Settle Downtown After the Dust Settled
On Thursday morning, the World Trade Center complex unveiled a new monument: the Memorial Glade, which honors people whose health (or whose lives) were taken from them not on September 11, 2001, but in the years that followed, because they were exposed to toxins in the aftermath of the Twin Towers’ collapse.
Matthew Fenton
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Terrapins, Seahorses, and Horseshoe Crabs
– Oh My!
The River Project celebrates its annual “Meet the Fishes,” welcoming you to the Wetlab to experience the wonders that lie beneath the murky waters of the Hudson River.
Come visit this unique flow-through river water aquarium and meet the many species that live in the harbor at this free event for the whole family today Tuesday, June 4, from 4 to 7PM at Pier 40, West Street and Houston Street.
In addition to the blackfish, crabs, oysters and other critters, there will be local diamondback terrapin turtles, courtesy of The Turtle Conservancy.
Big, the famed giant oyster, will also make a rare appearance!
The River Project is a marine science field station founded in 1986 at Pier 26 in Tribeca and works to protect and restore the ecosystem of the Hudson River estuary and New York Harbor through scientific research, hands-on environmental education, urban habitat improvement and innovative waterfront programs.
For more information, contact Cathy Drew at cathy@riverproject.org
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Letters
To the Editor:
The article, “Pupil Protection,” published April 1, 2019, notes the unfortunate shortage of School Crossing Guards (SCGs) in our area, especially at and around PS89 in Battery Park City. It’s been two months since the article appeared, and there seem to still be no “permanent” crossing guards for PS89. As a parent, every day I see the dangers to our kids posed by irresponsible drivers creeping into crosswalks at red lights, blocking crosswalks with their vehicles, out-of-state cars illegally turning right-on-red, and others speeding to make green or yellow lights; that’s in addition to equally irresponsible bicycle riders heading the wrong way on streets, careening through red lights, riding on sidewalks, and speeding recklessly along the West Street bikeway. I would love to see multiple SCGs posted at the intersections around PS89 (and other schools). It would especially be nice to have local residents as crossing guards since they would have a familiarity with the neighborhood, and also have a more heightened and direct interest in its safety. For anyone interested, our NYPD Neighborhood Coordination Officers can be contacted with questions at 212-334-6462, or dinah.bodden@nypd.org (Officer Bodden) and arif.tasoren@nypd.org (Officer Tasoren). A lso, there is an online registration at: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/careers/civilians/school-crossing-guard.page. Sincerely,
Ron Dowd
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Let’s celebrate our graduates during the month of June.
Send us a picture and 100 words about your graduate or your own achievement.Pre-K through Ph.D
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Today’s Calendar
Tuesday June 4
10:30AM
Zumba Jumpstart
Battery Park City Parks Join a fitness dance party with upbeat Latin music of salsa, merengue, hip-hop, and more! Enthusiastic instruction creates a fun community of dancers who learn new steps each week. Bring your friends and share in this fit and fun dancing community. 6 River Terrace. 12:30PM
Blitz Chess
Battery Park City Parks 3:30PM
Drop In Chess
Battery Park City Parks
Play the popular strategy game while getting pointers and advice from an expert. Chess improves concentration, problem-solving, and strategic planning – plus it’s fun! For ages 5 and up (adults welcome). Rockefeller Park. 6PM
Southern Italian Pasta
Eataly Downtown
Experience and interactive demonstration on making fresh semolina dough. Knead and form dough into classic pasta shapes by hand and by classic pasta machine. Enjoy 1 glass of wine during your experience and tasting of a completed fresh pasta dish. World Trade Center. $65 6PM
The Future of Clothing
Good Stuff
Panel discussion with moderator Lauren Fay, founder of The New Fashion Initiative, Abrima Erwiah, co-founder of Studio 189, Sydney Sherman, founder of Faire.shop. 205 Front Street |
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‘To Make the Wounded Whole…’ Chin Pushes to Renew Victim Compensation Fund
City Council member Margaret Chin is mobilizing local support for an effort at the federal level to restore funding and make permanent the Victim Compensation Fund, which offers financial awards to responders and survivors of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
This proposed federal measure would renew and make permanent the Victim Compensation Fund that was created by a 2011 law, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which was renewed in 2015.
Matthew Fenton
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Letters
To the Editor:
I watched the transfer of the bridge spans in person on Wednesday, but seeing your video was AWESOME!
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Can Prized Community Facility Experience a Re-Berth?
A panel of elected officials and representatives from the Hudson River Park Trust(HRPT) will host a public forum this evening (Tuesday, May 28) to discuss proposed legislation that would enable commercial development at Pier 40, the massive former cruise ship terminal on the Hudson River waterfront, adjacent to Houston Street, which covers 14 acres and now houses athletic and recreational facilities.
Among the elected officials expected to attend tonight are U.S. Congressman Jerry Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, State Assembly member Deborah Glick, and State Senators Brian Kavanagh and Brad Hoylman.To read more…
Matthew Fenton
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RiverWatch
Cruise Ships in the Harbor
Arrivals and Departures
Thursday, June 6
Anthem of the Seas
Inbound 6:30 am (Bayonne); outbound 4:00 pm;
Bermuda/Eastern Caribbean
Celebrity Summit
Inbound 7:30 am (Bayonne); outbound 4:00 pm;
New England/Bermuda
Friday, June 7
Queen Mary 2
Inbound 6:00 am; (Brooklyn); outbound 5:00 pm;
Transatlantic (Southampton, UK/Hamburg, Germany)
Saturday, June 8
Adventure of the Seas
Inbound 6:30 am (Bayonne); outbound 3:00 pm;
Bar Harbor, ME/Canadian Maritimes
Norwegian Dawn
Inbound 7:15 am; outbound 4:30 pm; Canadian Maritimes/Maine/Rhode Island
Sunday, June 9
Norwegian Escape
Inbound 6:15 am; outbound 4:30 pm; Bermuda
Many ships pass Lower Manhattan on their way to and from the Midtown Passenger Ship Terminal. Others may be seen on their way to or from piers in Brooklyn and Bayonne. Stated times, when appropriate, are for passing the Colgate clock in Jersey City, NJ, and are based on sighting histories, published schedules and intuition. They are also subject to tides, fog, winds, freak waves, hurricanes and the whims of upper management.
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EYES TO THE SKY
May 28 – June 9, 2019
The Spring Triangle – an asterism
While writing my recent column about bright stars in the south at nightfall, I was reminded of patterns those stars shape in addition to the position each has in an official constellation.
Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Bootes the Herdsman and Spica is brightest in Virgo the Virgin. Denebola marks the tail of Leo the Lion and Regulus the Lion’s heart. Draw imaginary lines to connect Arcturus to Spica and Denebola and we have a Spring Triangle, an asterism. Replace Denebola with Regulus for a larger Spring Triangle. Asterisms are easily distinguishable patterns often composed of stars from more than one constellation. In the case of the Big Dipper – overhead to the south — the asterism is an outstanding part of one official constellation, Ursa major, the Great Bear. Judy Isacoff naturesturn.org |
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On the Waterfront
Governors Island Trust Considers a Plan to Activate the Island’s Perimeter
Visions for the future of Governors Island are beginning to come into focus, as various constituencies emphasize their priorities. Earlier this month, theWaterfront Alliance unveiled its Maritime Activation Plan for the highly regarded island, which focuses on strategies for capitalizing on the unique waterfront assets located along the island’s 2.2-mile perimeter, while offering practical recommendations for meeting the challenges of being situated in the middle of New York Harbor. Matthew Fenton
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Today in History
June 4
781 BC – Oldest Chinese recording of a solar eclipse
1070 – Roquefort cheese created in a cave near Roquefort, France
1666 – Battle at Dunkirk: English vs Dutch fleet
1760 – Great Upheaval: New England planters arrive to claim land in Nova Scotia, Canada taken from the Acadians.
1783 – Montgolfier brothers launch first hot-air balloon
1784 – Madame Elizabeth Thible becomes the first female balloonist.
1789 – US Constitution goes into effect
1825 – Unseasonable hurricane hits New York City
1876 – An express train called the Transcontinental Express arrives in San Francisco, via the First Transcontinental Railroad only 83 hours and 39 minutes after having left New York City.
1896 – Henry Ford takes his first Ford through streets of Detroit
1907 – Automatic washer and dryer introduced
1912 – Massachusetts passes first US minimum wage law
1919 – US marines invade Costa Rica
1940 – British complete miracle of Dunkirk by evacuating 300,000 troops
1940 – German forces enter Paris
1940 – The synthetic rubber tire unveiled
1956 – Speech by Khrushchev criticising Stalin made public
1962 – Lee Harvey Oswald departs Rotterdam on SS Maasdam to US
1969 – 22-year-old man sneaks into wheel pod of a jet parked in Havana and urvives 9-hr flight to Spain despite thin oxygen levels at 29,000 ft
1972 – Angela Davis, black activist, acquitted of killing a white guard
1975 – Oldest animal fossils in US discovered in North Carolina
1984 – DNA is successfully cloned from an extinct animal
1986 – Jonathan Pollard, spy for Israel, pleads guilty in US court
1990 – NY Telephone company the birth of the Bronx area code 917
Birthdays
1787 – Constant Prévost, French geologist (d. 1856)
1899 – Hassan Fathy, Egyptian architect (d. 1989)
1909 – William Batten, CEO (New York Stock Exchange 1976-84)
1917 – Robert Merrill, Brooklyn , American baritone
1939 – Phil Linz, baseball shortstop (NY Yankees)
1951 – Charles Dickinson, American author
Deaths
1316 – Louis X, King of France (1314-16), dies at 26
1921 – Heinrich E Albers-Schoenberg, x-ray experimenter, dies at 56
1994 – Toto Bissainthe, voodoo poet, dies at 59
Edited from various internet sources
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Anthem of the Seas Spins About
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Barging In
Local Elected Officials Say ‘Avast’ to Water-Borne Ads, But Company Claims City Is Out of Its Depth
The advertising barges that have become a pet bête noire for Lower Manhattan residents were the focus of a discussion at the April 23 meeting of Community Board 1 , where Paul Goldstein, who chairs that panel’s Waterfront, Parks, & Cultural Committee, offered an update, saying, “those floating billboards that you’ve seen on both the east and west sides — the good news is that the City is cracking down on them. Both the Mayor and the Council say they find it unacceptable. So they are imposing fines and enacting laws to restrict it.” To read more…
Matthew Fenton
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Shelter from the Storm
City Plans Temporary Flood Protection Measures for Downtown
The administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio is formulating short-term strategies to protect the South Street Seaport and the Financial District from sea-level rise and future extreme-weather events.
Matthew Fenton
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This Sand Is Your Sand, This Sand Is Our Sand…
Although Not Yet a Shore Thing, Proposal for Brooklyn Bridge Beach Takes a Step Forward
After multiple rounds of funding since 2013, the proposed Brooklyn Bridge Beach — a project supported by elected officials, community leaders, and the public — may be inching closer to reality.
The plan, backed by all of these constituencies, aims to create a crescent-shaped wedge of sand along the East River waterfront, just north of the South Street Seaport, where park-goers could wade knee deep in tide. If built, it would become the sole access point at which Lower Manhattan residents could step into the water that surrounds them, rather than merely looking at it. Matthew Fenton
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Poets House Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Journey with us across the Brooklyn Bridge, from Manhattan to Brooklyn, to celebrate Poets House and the poetry of New York City with readings by poets Robert Pinsky, Rosamond King, Gregory Pardlo, Jenny Xie, and Anne Waldman, whom we will present with our Elizabeth Kray Award for service to poetry. This year marks Poets House’s 10th anniversary at 10 River Terrace-as well as Walt Whitman’s bicentennial.
Recognition of Whitman’s 200th birthday will lend special significance to the evening as we gather to hear a reading of Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.”
Afterward, we’ll continue with more readings, accompanied by wine, dinner, and dessert, inside a beautiful historic foundry in DUMBO. All proceeds benefit Poets House’s library, public programs, and class trips for children and teens.
Monday June 10
6:00pm: Walk begins in Manhattan, near One Centre Street
8:00pm: Seated dinner at 26 Bridge Street in DUMBO
For more information: poetshouse.org/poetrywalk2019
Questions? please contact Phoebe at 212-431-7920 ext. 2819or phoebe@poetshouse.org.
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Poor Quay?
Hudson River Park Trust Seeks Development on Pier 40
The Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT), in collaboration with local elected officials, is seeking to revise its enabling legislation to allow for commercial development at Pier 40.
“The major issue is that there need to be changes to the legislation that created the Hudson River Park, because Pier 40 is sinking,” explained Anthony Notaro, chair of Community Board 1 (CB1) at an April 26 meeting.
Matthew Fenton
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CLASSIFIEDS & PERSONALS
Swaps & Trades Respectable Employment
Lost and Found 212-912-1106
PART TIME SALES POSITION
High commission. B to B sales
We sell donor signage to non-profits,
extremely nice clientele.
Our office is located in FIDI.
Call me at 646-729-7142. Barry Silverberg, Principal
Situation Wanted:
Experienced Elder Care (12 years)
Able to prepare nutritious meals and light housekeeping
Excellent references 347 898 5804 Hope
NOTARY PUBLIC IN BPC
$2 per notarized signature
Text Paula at 917-836-8802
CLEANING SERVICES
Dishes, windows, floors, laundry, bathrooms.
You name it – I will clean it. Call Elle at 929-600-4520
IT AND SECURITY SUPPORT
Experienced IT technician. Expertise in 1-on-1 tutoring for all ages.Computer upgrading & troubleshooting.
Knowledgeable in all software programs. James Kierstead james.f.kierstead@gmail.com 347-933-1362. Refs available
ELDER COMPANION
Experienced with BPC residents. Available nights, days, and weekends. Will cook, clean and administer medicine on time. Speaks French and English. Can start immediately. Please call or text 929-600-4520.
OLD WATCHES SOUGHT
PREFER NON-WORKING
Mechanical pocket and wristwatches sought and
sometimes repaired 212-912-1106
If you would like to place a listing, please contact editor@ebroadsheet.com
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Cass Gilbert and the Evolution of the New York Skyscraper
by John Simko
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The Broadsheet Inc. | 212-912-1106 | editor@ebroadsheet.com| ebroadsheet.com
No part of this document may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher
© 2019
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