BY SEAN EGAN | Hudson Boulevard Park was bustling with activity on the evening of Fri., June 24, having served as the site of the Hudson Yards / Hell’s Kitchen Alliance’s Annual Meeting — a fitting venue for the group, which has been instrumental in the success of the new park. As a business improvement district (BID) that covers the area approximately between W. 42nd St. and W. 30th St., and Ninth and 11th Aves., the Alliance’s goal is to help improve the quality of life in the area.
Guests were welcomed to the green space — which sits near the similarly new 7 train subway station — with complimentary tote bags, full to the brim with literature highlighting the work that the BID did over the past year, as well as future plans. Under tents, a spread of food was provided by Better Being, a local company within the BID. Live music filled the air, as a duo of musicians strummed on acoustic guitars. Guests hobnobbed for about a half hour before the main event got underway.
Alliance Chair Kevin Singleton (also of TF Cornerstone) emceed the evening’s proceedings, and opened the celebratory event with a quick speech of his own.
Noting that they’ve “witnessed tangible progress” over the course of the past year and “are continuing to strengthen our relationship with local community groups,” Singleton expressed that, “We believe that as the future unfolds we will have the ‘live, work, play,’ environment,” quoting his personal mantra for the area.
The next speaker, Mark Specter of the Hudson Yards Development Corporation, highlighted some of the successes the Alliance saw through the year — specifically operating the park’s programs and the opening of the new 7 train station — while also stressing new goals, such as securing more blocks for the park, opening a concession kiosk within it, and constructing a new entrance to the subway.
Singleton took to the podium once again, to present the group’s annual Visionary Award. This year’s ceremony was bittersweet, as the award was posthumously given to Oskar Brecher, the late Moinian Group executive and BID member, who was a significant figure in the forthcoming Hudson Yards development.
“He was courtly, he was a great joke teller, and a lover of fine wine,” recalled Singleton. He also noted that evenhandedness and politeness in business matters helped set the “renaissance man” apart. “He would nicely tell you how to go to hell in a way that you’ll enjoy the trip,” Singleton laughed. “I miss my friend.”
“[The Hudson Yards] project excited him and allowed him to stretch creatively,” noted Oskar’s son, Matthew Brecher of his father, as he accepted the award on his behalf. “I’m sure he would have been honored to have his peers consider him a visionary.”
Next, the Alliance quickly voted on its Board of Directors. The slate was unanimously approved in short order, securing seats for a wide swath of individuals representing local businesses and community organizations.
Finally, keynote speaker City Councilmember Corey Johnson — who, as Singleton noted, continually supported and contributed money to the Alliance — took the podium.
“I am proud of the work the BID has done over the year,” Johnson announced, singling out the success of the park, which was years in the making, as being “pretty special.” He again asserted that they were going to be working to secure more blocks for the green space, as well as free WiFi and public art. He also highlighted the creation of the M12 bus line, and spoke with excitement of the forthcoming affordable housing to be built at the district’s Slaughterhouse site (11th Ave., btw. W. 39th & W. 40th Sts.).
“This BID has really fostered a community,” Johnson concluded. “I wanted to come here to say thank you.”
The Alliance’s Executive Director and President, Robert Benfatto, closed the evening with brief statements of thanks for all those who came out, and praise for the work of the Alliance. “I’d like to end this so we could all get to know each other,” Benfatto finished. And with that, the meeting was adjourned for guests to continue to enjoy the fair weather, food, drinks, and music.
The Alliance was right back to business as usual, however, when early the next morning, Johnson and Benfatto attended a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Canoe — a public plaza featuring seven tables and 21 chairs on W. 36th St., just west of Ninth Ave., made possible through the efforts of Johnson and the Alliance.
“In this dense urban oasis, there are very few opportunities to reactivate public open space, so we tried to create a usable public plaza here,” Johnson told Chelsea Now after the ribbon cutting, noting that he allocated funds for the project, and that even early on its first day open it was well-populated — showing the need for this kind of space.
Benfatto said he was “happy to have it up and running,” and was grateful for the cooperation of the Department of Transportation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in helping realize the plaza, which previously functioned as an NYPD parking area. He also noted that they were looking to continue to improve the Canoe over time, highlighting the potential addition of more chairs and more plants, as well as the commissioning of a sculpture — displaying the kind of foresight and work that made the Alliance’s last year so successful.
For more info, visit hudsonyardshellskitchenalliance.org.
