CB1 Endorses Plan for Art in FiDi Park
Community Board 1 (CB1) is giving a qualified thumbs-up to a proposal to remember a now-vanished Lower Manhattan community in Elizabeth Berger Plaza, a small park at the convergence of Greenwich Street and Trinity Place, bordered by an exit ramp from the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel.
The plan to create a memorial dedicated to the writers of the Arab diaspora who came together in Lower Manhattan during the early years of the 20th century (forming what we became known as “Little Syria”) will add a pair of mosaic backrests to existing stone benches and a sculpture to the plaza.
In a resolution enacted at its July 25 meeting, CB1 approved of the plan but noted that some CB1 members were troubled by certain elements of the project, such as the “large sculptural pieces that will now permanently interfere with the ability of people to enjoy sections of this park, including landscaped areas and benches they feel should be protected and preserved.”
In the resolution CB1 also urged City’s Public Design Commission (PDC)—which must sign off on all architecture that will occupy City-owned property—“to work with the artist and [Washington Street Historical Society] to… mitigate the impact of large sculptural pieces so that people can best enjoy the natural features of the park.”
The overall budget for the project, which is titled, “Al Qalam: Poets in the Park,” is $900,000. (“Al Qalam means “the Pen” in Arabic.”) The design is by French-Moroccan artist Sara Ouhaddou, whose work is informed by the experience of growing up between two cultures. The project was kickstarted by years of grassroots lobbying by local groups, such as the Washington Street Historical Society.
The resolution adopted by CB1 in July concluded by “strongly urging the PDC to be careful in approving permanent large-scale artwork to take over major portions of parks such as in this case. So, while we surely understand and support the need to recognize the contribution of our Little Syrian community, safeguarding our precious parks particularly in densely populated areas such as Lower Manhattan, also must never be forgotten.”