Mr. Mehiel took the helm during a tempestuous moment in the BPCA’s history, just weeks before Hurricane Sandy flooded much of the community, inundating the ballfields (which had to be closed for repairs until the following spring), and wrecking both Pier A and the Asphalt Green community center, shortly before both were scheduled to open.
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In the weeks that followed, he spearheaded the effort to repair and restore the damage wrought by the storm, pledging to have the ballfields ready for Downtown Little League’s opening day, the following spring. Against seemingly long odds, Mr. Mehiel was able to make good on this promise.
His early tenure at the BPCA was also marked by a series of controversial moves, such as the 2014 decision to transfer management of North Cove Marina to Brookfield Properties, the owner of the giant retail and office complex located in the community, after the yacht harbor had been managed for decades by a highly regarded local resident and small businessman. The following year, the Authority also decided to replace the uniformed law enforcement officers (the Parks Enforcement Patrol, of PEPs) who had patrolled the community for decades with private security guards. Both mandates aroused heated opposition and criticism.
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But Mr. Mehiel also showed flexibility in the face of community disapproval. In 2014, when the Authority decided to close the community center at Stuyvesant High School, residents howled in protest. Working with elected officials, Mr. Mehiel reversed the plan, committing the BPCA to keeping the facility open for years to come. He followed this move with a series of price cuts that made the community center, already prized for its affordability, accessible to more people.
By 2015, when the BPCA began planning a major redesign of South End Avenue, some controversial elements of the scheme (such as a proposal to enclose the arcades that line the west side of the street, in order to create new retail space) were dropped soon after residents objected. Other elements of the plan, which is still being formulated, were modified in response to concerns voices by community leaders.
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By the close of Mr. Mehiel’s tenure, major BPCA initiatives, such as the formulation of plans for resiliency measures throughout the neighborhood, were being vetted with community leaders and discussed with the public months (or sometimes years) in advance of implementation.
This spoke to a new emphasis on transparency and collaboration. At the start of Mr. Mehiel’s chairmanship, residents and elected officials often criticized the agency for unveiling major decisions after the fact, as a fait accompli. But in recent years, the BPCA has taken to soliciting ideas and concerns at the earliest stages of such projects, before designs have been completed or contractors have been hired.
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Martha Gallo
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At Tuesday’s meeting of the BPCA board, Mr. Mehiel continued, “I will share with you, if you haven’t heard it already, that the Governor has nominated Martha Gallo to return to the board.” This was a reference to the local resident who was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo (who controls the BPCA by appointing its directors) to serve on the Authority’s board in 2012, but who resigned in 2017.
“Last year,” Mr. Mehiel continued, “the State passed legislation that mandates at least two members of the BPCA board should be residents of Battery Park City. And that’s something that’s been important to the residents. It’s something that has been important to their representatives, the elected officials, who have spared no energy in reminding me of this requirement for quite some period of time.”
This was a reference to a law enacted last December (and amended a few weeks ago), requiring that future appointments to the BPCA’s board allocate two seats (out of seven) to people who live within the community governed by the Authority. A source directly familiar with the situation says that Ms. Gallo was confirmed by the State Senate late Tuesday evening.
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Mr. Mehiel congratulates the Authority’s new chair, George Tsunis.
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“I want to thank everybody,” Mr. Mehiel added, visibly moved. “I appreciate everybody’s effort and integrity, your commitment to the organization and your competence. So I feel quite relaxed about departing, in the sense that I think the organization is in good shape.”
At the close of Tuesday’s BPCA board meeting, the other directors, as well as the senior staff of the Authority, praised Mr. Mehiel’s leadership. Board member Donald Capoccia said, “it was exceptional. You did an amazing job. I learned a lot from you and all of the board members did. And it saved us a lot of money, because you did it for nothing — all while you were running you other enterprises.” (These were references to the fact that board members at State authorities serve without compensation, and that Mr. Mehiel is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist.)
BPCA president Benjamin Jones added, “on behalf of the staff, you have been very supportive of our renewed approach with the community, to engage them. And you have pushed as we’ve pursued an aggressive resiliency plan.” When Mr. Capoccia and Mr. Jones were finished speaking, the room burst into applause.
As the public session of Tuesday’s meeting drew to a close, Mr. Mehiel recommended that the Authority’s directors elect (in the executive session that followed) George Tsunis, a real estate developer and philanthropist who was appointed to the BPCA’s board one year ago, to take over as chairman. He also proposed that Mr. Jones be designated as the BPCA’s chief executive officer. (He has previously served as the Authority’s president and chief operating officer, while Mr. Mehiel held the title of chairman and chief executive officer.) When the executive session concluded, the board reassembled and announced that it had followed Mr. Mehiel’s guidance on both matters.
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| The BPCA board and senior staff salute Mr. Mehiel with a round of applause. |
Three State legislators who sponsored the bills requiring that residents be appointed to the BPCA board responded to the developments at Tuesday’s board meeting. Senator Brian Kavanagh, along with Assembly members Deborah Glick and Yuh-Line Niou, said in a joint statement, “we would like to thank Mr. Mehiel for his service to Battery Park City over the last six years as both chair of the board and chief executive officers of the Authority. Today, Battery Park City is a thriving neighborhood — and Mr. Mehiel’s leadership is a big part of this community’s success. We especially acknowledge his work to help this community weather Superstorm Sandy and rebuild stronger than ever.”
“Now that a seat on the BPCA board is officially vacant, Governor Cuomo must act immediately and nominate a Battery Park City resident to fill the vacancy,” they added in a nod to Ms. Gallo’s nomination. “He should also embrace the spirit of the law — which requires at least two members of the board be residents — and nominate a resident to replace another member serving under an expired term.”
This was a reference to the fact that Mr. Mehiel’s term at the BPCA formally expired in 2015, while those of two other board members (Mr. Capoccia and Hector Batista) lapsed in 2016. (As a practical matter, board members at State authorities often continue to serve after their terms have expired, until they are reappointed or replaced by the governor.)
“In addition to being residents of Battery Park City, these nominees should be chosen with an eye toward improving the racial and gender diversity of the Board,” the three elected officials said. “We need the Governor and the Senate to act now to ensure Battery Park City residents take their rightful seats at the table. This community has waited long enough. The time to act is now.”
A source directly familiar with the situation said that the Cuomo administration was on the verge of nominating another new member of the BPCA board, whose name has not been made public, but who is also a resident of the community. This insider predicted that the second nominee would likely be confirmed by the Senate within the next 24 hours.