The BroadsheetDAILY~ Lower Manhattan’s Local Newspaper ~ 6/8/21 ~ New Leadership Comes at Crucial Juncture for HRPT

Lower Manhattan’s Local Newspaper

In Doyle They Trust

New Leadership Comes at Crucial Juncture for HRPT

Hudson River Park Trust’s new president, Noreen Doyle (center), flanked by two of her predecessors, Madelyn Wils (left) and Connie Fishman (right)

The Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) has new leadership: Last Thursday, the organization’s board of directors voted to appoint Noreen Doyle as president, following the departure in March of longtime chief executive officer Madelyn Wils.

Ms. Doyle has served since 2004 as HRPT’s executive vice president, and was more recently named acting president, when Ms. Wils stepped down. This is Ms. Doyle’s second tenure with the Trust, having served in various capacities there from 1994 through 2001. During the intervening years, she worked for AKRF, Inc., an environmental and planning consultant.

“Parks are defined not just by their landscapes but by the people who use them, and this past year has shown how essential they are for the health and happiness of our cities,” Ms. Doyle said. “Hudson River Park is a success because for more than two decades, the State and City, previous Trust leadership, businesses and environmental advocates, and community advocates and elected officials have contributed their resources, talent and passion to creating a park that offers something for everyone. In that spirit of collaboration, I look forward to continuing our work toward finishing the park, improving the health of our Hudson River Sanctuary, and ensuring that the Park is a welcoming place for all.”

The HRPT oversees the four-mile linear park that stretches along the Hudson River waterfront, from the Battery to West 59th Street. Below: Little Island

Ms. Doyle’s accession comes at a crucial juncture for HRPT. The organization has recently unveiled a pair of glittering additions to the Park: Pier 26, an ecologically inspired recreation facility (near North Moore Street, in Tribeca) in September, and Little Island (near West 13th Street) in May. But the Park is slated soon to begin construction on Gansevoort Peninsula, a five-acre-plus chersonese that juts out from the West Side waterfront, between Horatio and West 13th Streets, which is slated to Manhattan’s first-ever public beach (for viewing, rather than bathing), a 56,000-square-foot ballfield, and a large-scale public art work — a sculpture by David Hammons, consisting of a stainless steel frame that will exactly duplicate the position and dimensions of the dock shed on the now-vanished Pier 52, which once traced the southern edge of the peninsula.

HRPT is also nearing completion of the buildout for Pier 57 (near West 14th St.), which will house offices for Google, as well as more than three acres of park space. The organization is also in the planning phases for a refurbished Pier 97 (at 57th St.) and the reconstruction of Chelsea Waterside Park (at 23rd St). Additionally ongoing is the rehabilitation of the underwater piles that support Pier 40, near Houston Street.

Tammy Meltzer, chair of Community Board 1, said that the Lower Manhattan community, “is defined by its waterways and Hudson River Park is crucial to our residents, students, workers, and visitors as a green transportation corridor, a top tier recreation destination, and a protective buffer. We have worked with Noreen for years and are thrilled to see her dedication and hard work elevate her to this role and we look forward to hearing more about her vision for the future of Hudson River Park and working together.”

Matthew Fenton

Off Again, On Again…

Appeals Court Okays City Plan Move of Homeless Men to 52 William, But Calls It ‘Moot’

On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division issued a decision that will allow the City’s Department of Homeless Services to proceed with a plan to transfer many dozens of homeless men from the Lucerne Hotel, on the Upper West Side, to the Radisson Wall Street Hotel, located at 52 William Street.

This order dismissed an ongoing suit, brought by a coalition of groups, which sought to allow the men to remain in the Lucerne Hotel. The Appellate Division judges ruled narrowly on the issue of standing, finding that the original lawsuit was moot because the three homeless men named as lead plaintiffs last year have since been moved out of the Lucerne and into permanent housing.

The Annual Yard Sale at Southbridge Towers

will take place

Thursday-to-Saturday,

June 17th-18th & 19th

From 10AM to 6PM

Great bargains on interesting bric-a-brak, clothing, one-of-a-kind finds and lots of bling bling – both costume and real.

Enter via Fulton St. – next to Key Food

Contact: Ms. Jill Zilker, G.M. – Southbridge Towers 212-267-6190

Ain’t That a Hole in the Boat?

Operators of New Ferry Service Predict Launching by Summer

At the June 2 meeting of the Battery Park City Committee of Community Board 1, officials from the City’s Economic Development Corporation offered an update on their plans for a new ferry that will connect Staten Island to Battery Park City and Midtown.

Jeff Brault, the director of public affairs at NYC Ferry—the company designated by the City’s Economic Development Corporation to operate a network of new routes connecting Manhattan to the outer boroughs—began the discussion by saying, “the next time we speak, the new ferry will have already begun service.”

Committee chair Justine Cuccia asked, “do you have a launch date?”

Mr. Brault replied, “not yet. Basically we’re working really hard. We already have a dock in place at Battery Park City, but not in St. George,” the site of the ferry landing in Staten Island.

‘A Public Safety Emergency’

Random Assault in Chinatown Spurs Rally to Decry Anti-Asian Hate

City Council member Margaret Chin led a Wednesday rally of Chinatown residents and local community leaders to condemn the most recent in an outbreak of violent street crimes that appear to be racially motivated. The latest incident occurred on Bayard Street, on Monday afternoon, when a 55-year-old woman (whose name is being withheld) was punched and knocked unconscious in an apparently random, unprovoked assault. In video captured by a security camera, a woman walks in front of outdoor seating area of Kong Sihk Tong restaurant, when she is approached by a man who raises his left arm and smashes her in the face. The woman reels backward from the force of the blow, and then falls to the sidewalk, where she sits motionless as passersby come to her aid.

Seeking a Level Playing Field

BPCA Begins Work to Protect Its Turf

The Battery Park City Authority began work on its Ball Fields and Community Center Resiliency Project last Thursday, kicking off a $7-million initiative that will construct approximately 800 linear feet of flood-protection barriers along three sides of the facility.

The walls to be erected along the Warren, West, and Murray Street boundaries of the ball fields are designed to enclose and protect roughly 80,000 square feet of outdoor playing surface, as well as the adjacent Asphalt Green community center—both of which suffered catastrophic damage from flooding during Hurricane Sandy, in 2012. The Battery Park City Ball Fields are located at a topographic low point, rendering them especially susceptible to flooding. To read more…

Turns Out That Fighting City Hall Is Kinda Tough

State’s Highest Court Rejects Appeal from Community Groups Battling Two Bridges Development

On Thursday May 27, the New York State Court of Appeals effectively ended the last of a group of lawsuits begun in 2018, in which elected officials and community groups sought to compel the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio to subject several massive residential developments planned for the Lower East Side to the highest-possible degree of legal scrutiny. New York’s highest judicial review panel upheld a prior ruling by the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, which itself had overturned a lower-court decision favoring opponents of the projects.

In its Thursday ruling, the Court of Appeals rejected, without further comment, To read more…

Today’s Calendar

Tuesday June 8

10:30AM

Irish Hunger Memorial

Exercise in disguise! Join in on the fun featuring easy-to-follow Latin dance choreography while working on your balance, coordination and range of motion. Come prepared for enthusiastic instruction, a little strength training, and a lot of fun. Participants are expected to bring their own equipment: weights, water bottle, hand towel, etc. Masks required. Participants must maintain six feet of physical distance between households. All programs will be held in accordance with New York State reopening guidance. Battery Park City AuthorityFree

12:30PM

LMHQ

Join Tell Me A Story Founder Hillary Rea for this interactive, “dip-your-toes” approach to crafting your personal narrative. By the end of this session, you will feel energized to further your brainstorming. You’ll have a starting point for powerfully communicating what you do. And you’ll leave motivated to tell the stories that illuminate your personal and professional brilliance. Free

6PM

Community Board 1’s Youth & Education Committee

Live Remote Meeting – https://live.mcb1.nyc

AGENDA

1) Mental Health Impact on Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Presentation by Dr. Jennifer Havens and Dr. Aaron Reliford, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Department, NYU Langone Health

2) DOE Updates on Summer Rising Program and SYEP – Discussion

3) Updates on P.S.150 Reopening and Rezoning – Discussion

4) Trinity Place Gymnatorium – Discussion & possible resolution

5) High School Admissions Results – Discussion & possible resolution

7PM

Museum of Jewish Heritage

New York lawyer and Jewish community leader Menachem Z. Rosensaft traces his activism back to his roots. Born in the Displaced Persons camp in Bergen-Belsen, Germany, to parents who survived the Holocaust, he has taken the lessons of his family’s experience with him through four terms on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, his presidency of Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan, his teaching about the law of genocide at the law schools of Columbia and Cornell Universities, and his career as an international litigator, culminating in his current role as General Counsel and Associate Executive Vice President of the World Jewish Congress. Join Rosensaft and Ellen Bachner Greenberg, founder of Descendants of Holocaust Survivors (2G Greater New York), for a conversation about Rosensaft’s life and legacy and the questions he faces today. $10

‘A Whimsical Oasis’

Little Island Opens to Rave Reviews

The Lower West Side of Manhattan officially has another stunning public space: On Friday morning, the Hudson River Park Trust debuted Little Island, the new park located just off the shoreline, at 13th and West Streets. The park offers more than two acres of gardens, glades, lawns, performance spaces and picnic grounds.

All of this greenery is hoisted above the water by 280 slender concrete columns, driven hundreds of feet down into the riverbed, and supporting 132 flower-shaped masonry “tulips”—pods that appear to be separate platforms from outside Little Island, but form a continuous, undulating surface when seen from the inside. Each of these structural bulbs is a different size, shape, and elevation.

River to River Festival Is Back:

Don’t Miss These 5 Acts

Photo courtesy of Damon Davis

As we come out of covid, it’s clear the city’s thriving cultural scene is on its way back — and Lower Manhattan’s leading the way.

In May, the Downtown Alliance teamed up with En Garde Arts and + The Tankto present Downtown Live, a multi-weekend festival stocked with live performances ranging from music to theater to spoken poetry. The revival of Downtown’s cultural scene continues into June, with the return of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s River to River Festival.

The festival, which runs June 10–June 27, joins the explosion of post-vaccine outdoor events and art exhibits that are set to take over the city this summer. Here are five acts you won’t want to miss, and visit lmcc.net/river-to-river-festival for the full schedule.

Opening Concert featuring Esperanza Spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington and Leo Genovese (June 10)

Spalding is a jazz musician who made waves when she beat out Drake and Justin Bieber to win the Best New Artist Grammy in 2011. Since then she’s won three other Grammys and has been labeled the “21st century jazz genius” by NPR.

Processions with Miguel Gutierrez, Okwui Okpokwasili and The Illustrious Blacks

(June 13, 20, 25)

Artist Okwui Okpokwasili is following up her recent piece on the High Line called “On the way, undone” with another processional performance, which means you get to participate in the art. Okpokwasili’s performance will happen at Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City on June 20, followed by processions led by choreographer Gutierrez and musical duo the Illustrious Blacks will also conduct processions on June 13 and June 25.

Kamau Ware, Land of the Blacks (June 10-27)

Black history scholar and co-found of Black Gotham Experience Kamau Ware is writing an original piece on “Land of the Blacks,” 28 Black-owned farmsteads that once covered a swath of Lower Manhattan. It will debut on the River to River website.

Womxn in Windows (June 15-27)

Womxn in Windows is a multi-part video installation installed in Windows across the Seaport District. They’ll focus on the confluence of culture and society in an exploration of the multi-faceted female identity, created by artists from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Mariana Valencia, Futurity (June 25-27)

Choreographer and performer Mariana Valencia brings a 2021 version of Futurity, a dance performance that will transmit the queer stories of elders in Greenwich Village from the 1960s to the present.

(sponsored content)

CLASSIFIEDS & PERSONALS

Swaps & Trades, Respectable Employment, Lost and Found

To place a listing, contact editor@ebroadsheet.com

WANTED: OFFICE ASSISTANT

Battery Park real estate firm looking for an office assistant.

Individual must be a team player, work well in a fast pace environment and have mid-level computer skills.

Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Pay rate is $20.00 per hour. Part-Time may be an option but at a minimum of 24 hours.

Batteryparkresumes@gmail.com.

The Battery Park City Authority asks that the public not interact with or feed the urban wildlife in the neighborhood’s parks and green spaces, and at the waterfront.

Odious Edifice

City and State Prosecutors Team Up on Criminal Probe of Trump Finances at FiDi Landmark

In a story first reported by the Washington Post, New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance has expanded his longstanding probe of the finances of former President Donald Trump to include possible criminal charges. The office of New York State Attorney General Leticia James is also cooperating with Mr. Vance’s criminal investigation. To read more…

9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Report

More Survivors than Responders Now are Submitting Claims

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) has released its annual report for 2020, which documents some significant developments.

Over the course of its ten years of operation thus far, the VCF has awarded $7.76 billion to more than 34,400 individuals who have suffered death or personal injury as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath. The vast majority of these injuries take the form of illness caused by exposure to toxic materials that were released by the destruction of the World Trade Center.

TODAY IN HISTORY

June 8

Herman Hollerith

632 – Muhammad, Islamic prophet, dies in Medina and is succeeded by Abu Bakr who becomes the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate.

793 – Vikings raid the abbey at Lindisfarne in Northumbria, commonly accepted as the beginning of Norse activity in the British Isles.

1042 – Edward the Confessor becomes King of England, one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England.

1783 – Laki, a volcano in Iceland, begins an eight-month eruption which kills over 9,000 people and starts a seven-year famine.

1789 – James Madison introduces twelve proposed amendments to the United States Constitution in Congress.

1887 – Herman Hollerith applies for US patent #395,781 for the ‘Art of Compiling Statistics’, which was his punched card calculator.

1942 – World War II: The Japanese imperial submarines I-21 and I-24 shell the Australian cities of Sydney and Newcastle.

1949 – The celebrities Helen Keller, Dorothy Parker, Danny Kaye, Fredric March, John Garfield, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson are named in an FBI report as Communist Party members.

1949 – George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is published.

1953 – The US Supreme Court rules that restaurants in Washington, D.C., cannot refuse to serve black patrons.

1967 – Six-Day War: The USS Liberty incident occurs, killing 34 and wounding 171.

1968 – Robert F. Kennedy’s funeral takes place at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

1984 – Homosexuality is declared legal in the Australian state of New South Wales.

1992 – The first World Ocean Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Births

1625 – Giovanni Domenico Cassini, Italian-French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1712)

1724 – John Smeaton, English engineer, designed the Coldstream Bridge and Perth Bridge (d. 1794)

1810 – Robert Schumann, German composer and critic (d. 1856)

1867 – Frank Lloyd Wright, American architect, designed the Price Tower and Fallingwater (d. 1959)

1916 – Francis Crick, English biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)

1923 – Malcolm Boyd, American priest and author (d. 2015)

1924 – Lyn Nofziger, American journalist and author (d. 2006)

1925 – Barbara Bush, American wife of George H. W. Bush, 41st First Lady of the United States

1933 – Joan Rivers, American comedian, actress, and television host (d. 2014)

1944 – Boz Scaggs, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1949 – Emanuel Ax, Polish-American pianist and educator

Deaths

632 – Muhammad, Arabian prophet (b. 570)

1505 – Hongzhi Emperor of China (b. 1470)

1714 – Sophia of Hanover (b. 1630)

1795 – Louis XVII of France (b. 1785)

1809 – Thomas Paine, English-American theorist and author (b. 1737)

1982 – Satchel Paige, American baseball player and coach (b. 1906)

courtesy historyorb.com, Wikipedia and NYTimes.com and other internet sources

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