The BroadsheetDAILY – 7/11/22 – CB1 Wants Tribeca’s Cobblestone Streets Preserved, But Made Safe

The Broadsheet – Lower Manhattan’s Local Newspaper

Rebuild, Rather Than Replace

CB1 Wants Tribeca’s Cobblestone Streets Preserved, But Made Safe

The scene today on Vestry Street, between Greenwich and Washington Streets, facing west. The preservation of cobblestone street surfaces is widely perceived to contribute to the historic character of Tribeca, but poor workmanship has given rise to safety concerns.

A resolution recently enacted by Community Board 1 (CB1) calls upon the City to repair seven blocks of historic cobblestone streets in Tribeca. This follows a months-long dialog within the Board about whether safety concerns necessitated the removal of the historic surfaces (which are also landmarked), and their replacement with standard tar pavement.

The measure, enacted at CB1’s May 24 meeting, notes that “the cobblestone streets of Tribeca need to be rebuilt as part of one or more capital projects, as their current state is objectively dangerous, whereby simple pedestrian use has already led to multiple examples of severe injury and one case leading to the death of a local resident from the simple act of walking on the cobbled roadway in its present state.”

This was a reference to Tribeca resident John Croce, aged 70, who tripped while crossing Harrison Street in October 2018. He suffered multiple broken bones in the fall, and later died as a result of complications, following surgery.

The CB1 resolution calls for the City’s Department of Transpiration (DOT) to repair one-block stretches of Greenwich Street (between Canal and Hubert Streets), Hubert Street (Greenwich to Hudson), North Moore Street (Greenwich to Hudson), Harrison Street (Greenwich to West Street), Jay Street (Greenwich to Hudson), Leonard Street (Hudson to Varick), and Varick Street (Canal to Laight).

The measure notes that “cobblestone streets are exclusionary as commonly designed, but those problems have been exacerbated by construction errors and faulty repairs that do not readily permit the safe use of canes, walkers, mobility scooters, wheelchairs, strollers, bicycles without the threat of tripping, equipment failure and excessive wear and tear.”

A 1912 view of Fulton and Greenwich Streets (a site now in the midst of the World Trade Center complex), looking toward the Hudson River. A century ago, the quality of stone masonry made it possible to build cobblestone streets that would last for many decades.

Tribeca resident Diane Stein (who is also a public member of CB1), said, “these streets are unsafe, and numerous groups of people—the mobility impaired, visually impaired seniors, people in strollers, bicycles, and many others—have been hurt.”

“These streets are landmarked, and this resolution does not call for replacing the cobblestones with asphalt. It asks, basically, for two things. First, a temporary emergency fix to be done as soon as possible to make these streets safer and more passable. And second, a longer-term analysis to find a lasting solution to the problem, so that we won’t have to go through the same thing every few years.”

Diane Lapson (also a Tribeca resident and public member of CB1), added, “I personally never wanted to get rid of the cobblestones, but I always felt that they weren’t maintained properly. They started to disintegrate just two years after they were installed. My big concern is that it is very dangerous. For the sake of all of the residents, not just on Harrison Street, but all in Lower Manhattan who have crossed these streets, I’m just urging everybody to please support the immediate repair and maintenance.”

Pat Moore, chair of CB1’s Quality of Life Committee, noted, “we had DOT Manhattan Borough Commissioner Ed Pincar come, and he explained that the way they handle the repairs is to put asphalt down in the areas of the street that need to be repaired later.”

“They have a very small team to repair cobblestones,” Ms. Moore added. “So, after the asphalt is down, then they come back and they do the cobblestone repair, which could take up to two years. We don’t have an actual date.”

Matthew Fenton

A Bit of a Reach

BPCA Previews Competing Visions for Resiliency Plans to Safeguard Esplanade

The Battery Park City Authority’s open house meeting about its North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project on June 29 gave participants an overview of evolving plans for the creation of a flood-risk management system. The project begins at a point near First Place and the Esplanade (where it will link up with the BPCA’s South Resiliency Plan, slated to begin construction later this year) and proceeds along the Hudson River waterfront to behind Stuyvesant High School, where it hooks to the right and stretches into Tribeca, terminating at a highpoint on Greenwich Street, north of Chambers Street. A virtual open house, at which one can review materials and add comments to all design proposals for the North/West BPC Resiliency Project, is available online through July 31.

Ned Gains

Private Club and Event Space Slated Coming to Former American Stock Exchange

Billionaire Ron Burkle, who purchased the landmarked American Stock Exchange building last year, plans to bring an outpost of his exclusive social club, the Ned, to the august structure, according to an application filed with the State Liquor Authority.

Calendar

Monday, July 11

9:30am

Lily Pond, 6 River Terrace

Start your day by balancing your mind, body, and spirit during instructor guided meditation. This renowned practice lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and strengthens the immune system. Free.

7pm

Pier 17

Outdoor screening. Doors open at 6pm and the film will begin at 7pm. A limited number of chairs will be available, or you can bring your own blankets and chairs to lay out on the turf. Free.

Tuesday, July 12

10:30am-11:30am

6 River Terrace

Join in on the fun featuring easy-to-follow Latin dance choreography while working on your balance, coordination and range of motion. Free.

12:30pm-1:30pm

Rockefeller Park House

A lunch time program for passersby to play a quick game of chess or backgammon. Using clocks, opponents will play 5 minute games that are fast, furious and fun. An instructor will be on hand to offer pointers and tips to improve your game. Free.

1pm

Hear Claudia Abenda. To watch online live, go to Trinity’s homepage at the time of the performance.

3:30pm-5pm

Rockefeller Park

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). Free.

6pm

Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place

The film My Name Is Sara is based on the true story of 13-year-old Sara Goralnik. After escaping a ghetto in German-occupied Poland and losing her family at the outset of the Holocaust, Sara hid in plain sight, passing as an Orthodox Christian in the Ukrainian countryside, where she was taken in by a farmer and his young wife. Sara soon discovered the dark secrets of her employers’ marriage, compounding the greatest secret she had to protect: her identity. Attend the pre-screening reception followed by the premiere of this award-winning film, produced in association with USC Shoah Foundation. The screening will be accompanied by a discussion with the star of the film, Zuzanna Surowy; the film’s director, Steven Oritt; and the film’s executive producers Mickey Shapiro—whose mother’s story is the inspiration for the film—and Andy Intrater. The conversation will be moderated by Jessica Shaw, host of The Pop Culture Spotlight on SiriusXM. $18.

6pm

Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place

In this presentation, Jeffrey Richman, Green-Wood Cemetery’s historian and collector of 19th-century New Yorkiana, has assembled stereoview and lantern slide photographs of the Brookyn Bridge under construction, as well as woodcuts and other memorabilia to tell the story of how the Brooklyn Bridge came into being. Free.

6pm

Livestreamed

Agenda

7pm

Livestreamed

Agenda

Wednesday, July 13

10am-12pm

Rector Park East

Observe and sketch the human figure. Each week a model will strike short and long poses for participants to draw. An artist/educator will offer constructive suggestions and critique. Free.

11am-5pm

Take a self-guided tour of the tall ship Wavertree, and visit the 12 Fulton Street galleries to view the exhibitions “South Street and the Rise of New York” and “Millions: Migrants and Millionaires aboard the Great Liners.” Through Sunday. Free.

12:30pm

Brookfield Waterfront Plaza

BLOOM! is the newest creation of SWAY (formerly known as Australia’s Strange Fruit) atop their signature 14 foot sway poles. BLOOM! is a family-friendly, colorful, and spirited 20-minute performance exploring themes of earth and nature, community, transformation, individuality, and diversity. Performances at 12:30pm, 3:30pm and 5:30pm. Free

2pm-4pm

Wagner Park

Embolden your artwork amidst the flower-filled and seasonally evolving palette of BPC’s verdant gardens. An artist/ educator will provide ideas and instruction. Materials provided. Free.

6pm-7pm

Rockefeller Park House

Strengthen the body and cultivate awareness in a relaxed environment as your instructor guides you through alignments and poses. All levels are welcome. Bring your own mat. Free.

6pm

CB

See website for long agenda.

7pm

Fosun Plaza, 28 Liberty Street

Free outdoor movie screening.

7pm-9pm

Gibney, 53A Chambers Street

Opening night reception to kickoff the week-long Ladies of Hip Hop festival! Ladies of Hip-Hop is a Black women-led non-profit dedicated to the empowerment of women and preservation of street and club dance forms. What started as local workshops in Philadelphia has transformed into a week-long festival. $10-$15.

7pm

Pier 17

Concert.

Lower Manhattan Greenmarkets

Tribeca Greenmarket

Greenwich Street & Chambers Street

Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8am-3pm (compost program: Saturdays, 8am-1pm)

Bowling Green Greenmarket

Broadway & Whitehall St

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8am-5pm (compost program: 8am-11am)

World Trade Center Oculus Greenmarket

Tuesdays, 8am-5pm

The Outdoor Fulton Stall Market

91 South Street, between Fulton & John Streets

Indoor market: Monday through Saturday,11:30am-5pm

CSA pick-up: Thursday, 4pm-6pm; Friday, 11:30-5pm

Outdoor market: Saturdays, 11:30am-5pm

CLASSIFIEDS & PERSONALS

Swaps & Trades, Respectable Employment, Lost and Found

To place a listing, contact editor@ebroadsheet.com

Today in History: July 11

On this day in 1936, the Triborough Bridge opened. Today, it is known as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. The RFK Bridge system is actually three bridges—a vertical-lift bridge over Harlem River, a truss bridge over the Bronx Kill, and a suspension bridge over the East River—connected by an intertwining system of roads that link Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. The bridge complex was designed by chief engineer Othmar H. Ammann and architect Aymar Embury II.

Photograph by AlphaOrionis42 via Wikipedia Commons.

472 – After being besieged in Rome by his own generals, Western Roman Emperor Anthemius is captured in St. Peter’s Basilica and put to death.

813 – Byzantine emperor Michael I, under threat by conspiracies, abdicates in favor of his general Leo the Armenian, and becomes a monk (under the name Athanasius).

1735 – Mathematical calculations suggest that it is on this day that Pluto moved inside the orbit of Neptune for the last time before 1979.

1801 – French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons discovers his first comet. In the next 27 years he discovers another 36 comets, more than any other person in history.

1804 – In a duel, the Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr woundsformer Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton soon dies.

1936 – The Triborough Bridge is opened to traffic.

1962 – First transatlantic satellite television transmission.

1979 – America’s first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere over the Indian Ocean.

2015 – Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán escapes from maximum-security prison in Mexico via a 1.5 km tunnel from his cell to a nearby house.

2021 – Billionaire Richard Branson flies to the edge of space on his Virgin Galactic rocket plane in space tourism test

Births

1274 – Robert the Bruce, Scottish king (d. 1329)

1767 – John Quincy Adams, American lawyer and politician, 6th President of the United States (d. 1848)

1899 – E. B. White, American essayist and journalist (d. 1985)

1918 – Venetia Burney, English educator, who named Pluto (d. 2009)

1975 – Lil’ Kim [Kimberly Denise Jones], American rapper

Deaths

472 – Anthemius, Roman emperor (b. 420)

969 – Olga of Kiev (b. 890)

1989 – Laurence Olivier, English actor, director, and producer (b. 1907)

2012 – Marvin Traub, American businessman and author (b. 1925)

2014 – Tommy Ramone [Tamás Erdélyi], Hungarian-American rock drummer and bassist (Ramones), dies at 65

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