Does Battery Park City’s Main Street Need a Face Lift?

The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) is getting closer to circulating publicly, and soliciting public reaction to, the preliminary results of its study for ways to improve the streetscapes along South End Avenue and West Thames Street.

At the June 7 meeting of the Battery Park City Committee of Community Board 1 (CB1), Authority spokesman Nick Sbordone said, “changes in or improvements to the South End Avenue/West Thames Street streetscape, if any, would only occur after all interested stakeholders — including residents, building and condo owners, area businesses, the City of New York, et cetera — have had the opportunity to provide input.”

He continued, “this is an iterative process, something we want to continue to get input on and we should have the next touch point for providing input on where we are and feedback on the plan at the July 20 meeting.” This was a reference to the quarterly Open Community Meeting, at which senior staff and board members from the Authority present updates on recent projects, and field questions from residents.  This July 20th meeting will be held in the Parks Conservancy space at Six River Terrace (opposite the Irish Hunger Memorial).

Anthony Notaro responded by proposing that the BPCA present its findings several weeks in advance of that July 20 meeting, at the next gathering of CB1’s Battery Park City Committee (which Mr. Notaro chairs), on July 5. “Consider doing a trial run at our July meeting,” Mr. Notaro proposed.

Mr. Sbordone answered, “that’s certainly a fair request and I will take it back. It shouldn’t be an issue.”

Kathy Gupta, a member of CB1’s Battery Park City committee, asked, will you be inviting business owners along South End Avenue specifically to that meeting? Because I don’t know if people who normally close their businesses and go home would come to a community meeting if they didn’t specifically know that the study was being presented.”

Mr. Sbordone answered, “that’s a good point. What we’ve tried to do is have a specific theme at the Open Community Meetings. I imagine that at this meeting the theme would be the ongoing ‘South End Avenue study’. “The idea is to make as many people aware of it, and get as much input, as we can.”

 

Anthony Notaro

Tammy Meltzer, another member of CB1’s Battery Park City Committee, echoed Mr. Notaro’s call for a July 5 preview of the presentation, by saying, “coming here first is an opportunity to gather input — especially from business owners. It gives them another option. It would be great to have two opportunities.”

Mr. Sbordone said, “let me take that back; I don’t think that will be an issue.”

In June of last year, the BPCA hired Stantec, a design consulting firm based in Alberta, Canada (for a fee of $247,514), to recommend how to improve the two streets.

At the time, Gwen Dawson, the BPCA’s vice president for real estate, explained this decision by saying “in recognition of certain concerns that have arisen, regarding pedestrian safety, pedestrian experience, economic vitality of the corridor, loading and unloading, and a lot of traffic-related issues, the Authority desires to evaluate the current condition of this streetscape, and identify areas where it may be improved or enhanced in support of the interests of the community as well as the City and the State.”

 

Among the possibilities that the project was slated to explore, Ms. Dawson cited modifications to the arcades on the west side of South End Avenue, a series colonnades that stretch from Albany Street, to Rector Place, to West Thames Street. These arcades widen what would otherwise be a very narrow (and heavily trafficked) sidewalk, also providing pedestrians with shelter during inclement weather, and shade during bright sunshine. They, “were originally part of the master plan and design guidelines, which tends to stifle the retail presence and activity.” She added, “the visibility for retail activity is very limited.”

The possibility that these arcades might be changed or filled in has raised concerns among residents and business owners. At the BPCA’s April 13 Open Community Meeting, Denise Cordivano, the director of the Battery Park City Day Nursery (which is located behind one of the arcades), said to Authority chairman Dennis Mehiel and president Shari Hyman, “I really beg you to take a deep breath before you do anything to South End Avenue.” This remark elicited a round of applause from the audience of more than 100 residents in attendance.

“We’ve been in the neighborhood for 29 years,” Ms. Cordivano continued. “We’ll celebrate 30 years this September. And quite honestly, if I have to build out those arcades, it’s going to kill my business. It means that I’ll need to be relicensed by the Department of Health. It means that I’ll have to go through the Department of Buildings. It means that my front door will be closed during that construction time. It means that parents will find another school for that school year, and therefore, I’ll lose at least one year’s worth of business.”

Mr. Mehiel assured her that, “when we have received the results of the analysis, the recommendations, that will be public information to the residents and anybody else who is interested. And there’ll be an opportunity for discussion,” at the July 20 meeting, “before the decisions are finalized.”

A few days later, at the May 3 meeting of CB1’s Battery Park City Committee, Mr. Notaro said of the South End Avenue study, “we’re very concerned that the BPCA is looking at something that we’re not connected with and may not have the same objectives. This is a very important issue for us to work together on, or to fight on. It’s as simple as that.”

A BPCA source describes the study of South End Avenue and West Thames Street as, “intended to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the streetscape, including, among other considerations, traffic and parking concerns, pedestrian safety and amenities, and street vitality and appeal.” This source adds that, “the first-floor building facades and storefronts — including the architectural arcades in those buildings — reflect but a limited portion of the broader set of streetscape features that the study was designed to consider.”

The same source says that outreach for the study has included “a street intercept survey, a retail survey and a resident survey,” and that the deadline for resident survey was extended several times, most recently to May 13.

Beyond the upcoming July 20 Open Community Meeting (and the possible preview at the July 7 meeting of CB1’s Battery Park City Committee), the Authority also plans to conduct an “open house” session (at a date that has not yet been announced) for interested members of the public to gather more information, as well as the opportunity for more feedback.