To the Editor:
Chutzpah…It is not surprising to Seaport denizens that the Dallas-based Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC) fully understands the meaning of this word. HHC finally showed its hand at last month’s Manhattan Community Board 1 Executive Committee meeting: they want to line their pockets by bending the rules and asked the community to name its price.
HHC hires the smartest real estate professionals, lawyers and lobbyists. They do their homework and know full well that 250 Water Street is not a “receiving” site for Air Rights transfers within the South Street Seaport Historic District. Milstein holds their mortgage, prompting some to speculate that this is a contingency deal that still might never happen. This is where their Texas-sized chutzpah comes in.
The Save Our Seaport Coalition (SOS) called a standing-room-only public meeting on June 28th and the verdict was clear: this community’s air, light, history and purpose are NOT for sale.
SOS succeeded the Seaport Community Coalition which united the community two decades ago and defeated ten proposals by the Milstein family to overdevelop this historic site. In 2003, the City downzoned to preserve the character of the South Street Seaport Historic District, a move that was later upheld in court.
SOS is not some collection of old NIMBY’s, but rather a citywide group of people fighting to preserve and respect the South Street Seaport Historic District and its maritime traditions. We will continue to give a voice to this community (another public meeting will be scheduled shortly), and to engage with our elected officials to ensure that HHC plays by the rules.
Michael Kramer on behalf of SAVE OUR SEAPORT