Volume 16 • Issue 46 | April 9 – 15, 2004
Downtown local
The directors of the British Memorial Garden Trust last week chose the design of Anish Kapoor, a prize-winning British sculptor, for the Unity monument to serve as the focal point of the new British Memorial Garden to be built this spring in Hanover Sq. in honor of U.K. citizens lost in the World Trade Center attack. The monument, 19.5 ft high, eight ft. wide and nearly five ft. deep, will be carved from a solid piece of black marble with a vertical chamber cut into the front about eight ft. tall, three ft. wide and about 2.5 ft. deep. The inside of the chamber will be polished to a mirror surface to reflect light in the form of a column inside the black stone. Kapoor, 50, born in Bombay, is a Commander of the British Empire and has sculpture in several museums in Europe and the U.S. His design was chosen by a jury of British and American art experts, Department of Parks and Recreation officials and Judy Duffy, representing Community Board 1. The garden is designed by Julian and Isabel Bannerman, English landscape architects. Friends of the British Memorial Garden in Hanover Sq., is raising $3.5 million to build and maintain the garden and memorial.
Express wins 5 awards
Downtown Express won five New York Press Association awards for the paper’s spot news coverage, design and advertising at NYPA’s annual convention in Saratoga Springs, New York, April 2-3.
Judges from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association called the Express’ spot news coverage of the two-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks “powerful reporting,” and awarded it a third-place prize in the category. The article was written by Lincoln Anderson, Elizabeth O’Brien and Josh Rogers and covered the name-readings at the World Trade Center site, rescue worker supporters who returned to “Point Thank You” on the West Side Highway, Mayor Bloomberg’s visit to a local firehouse and visitors to the “Tribute in Light” installation art work in the evening.
The Express also won a third-place award for overall design excellence.
Downtown Express earned 35 points in advertising categories and finished tied for fifth in ad points. Overall, 193 newspapers in New York State submitted almost 4,000 entries from 2003.
The paper’s Community Handbook won a second-place award in the special section advertising category. A judge from Pennsylvania wrote: “I liked contents in front and index in back. Easy to read.”
The Express won first place for the best large space advertisement for a Bayard’s restaurant notice designed by Brett C Vermilyea, the paper’s art and production director, and Colin Gregory, retail ad manager. A judge wrote of the Thanksgiving dinner ad: “Direct. To the point. Perfect for a specific event.”
An ad for Seasonal Whispers jewelry stores designed by Vermilyea and Matthew J. Kennedy, an advertising sales person, took third place for best color ad created by a newspaper’s staff. “What’s above the fold makes me want to read what’s below – ad is for a 25 percent coupon,” one judge wrote.
In addition to the five awards, Express photographer Lorenzo Ciniglio won a second-place award for spot news photography for a picture of a panic outside of a Chinatown bank that appeared in The Villager and then the Downtown Express, both owned by Community Media L.L.C. The panic, triggered by a false rumor of lost personal savings accounts, occurred April 22, 2003 and the picture was published in The Villager April 23 and in the Express April 29. One judge wrote of Ciniglio’s picture: “Takes the viewer inside the action – well done in the midst of chaos.”
Rocky Park ferry barge staying for now
The Port Authority board of commissioners approved a contract on Thursday April 1 to build the long-awaited new permanent ferry terminal near the World Financial Center in Battery Park City to replace the temporary terminal off Rockefeller Park.
Construction on the $55-million project will begin this summer and completion is expected in 2006, said Steve Coleman, a Port Authority spokesperson.
Spearin, Preston and Burrows, of Staten Island, was awarded the $35.7 million construction contract for a permanent terminal with two access ramps and five slips that will accommodate both side and end loading vessels. The new terminal will also have a larger passenger waiting area than the temporary one. Other improvements will include separation of arriving and department passengers, restrooms, concessions, better lighting and more seating.
The temporary terminal has two slips that handle 250 landings a day and serve more than 7,800 weekday commuters.
An announcement last week about the project said, “The Port Authority consulted with residents of Battery Park City to ensure that the project will have minimal impact on residents of the surrounding community.” Last summer after the barge was moved to make way for construction of the new terminal, parents of children who play in Rockefeller Park were upset about smoke blowing over the park from ferries using the temporary terminal.
New York Waterway has re-powered all but nine of its 35 vessels to cleaner burning engines, said Pat Smith, spokesperson for the carrier. Only two boats with the older style engines are assigned to routes that stop at the temporary terminal. “The first priority in the daily allocation plan is to put clean boats at the W.F.C. terminal,” Smith said.
Regarding Waterway’s assertion last year that all of its vessels using the temporary terminal would be clean burning by this July, Smith said, “We’re still working to meet that goal.”
Walk party
Shorewalkers, Inc., the environmental and hiking group that sponsors the annual Great Saunter, a 32-mile walk around the Manhattan shoreline, will hold a free pre-saunter party at Pier 26 at N. Moore St. from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. on Wed. April 14 to celebrate the designation of Great Saunter Day, 2004. This year, the Great Saunter will begin at 7:30 a.m. Sat, May 1 at the corner of Fulton and South Sts., and participants may join or leave the group at designated times and places to be announced. For more information, phone Brian Kaplan 212:666-3332 or e-mail bkaplan@impressionpr.com.
C.B. 1 meetings
The upcoming week’s schedule of Community Board 1 meetings is below. Unless otherwise noted, meetings will be held in room 709 of 49-51 Chambers St.
On Tues., April 13, the Seaport/Civic Center Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the process for determining location film shoots with the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting; development plans for the N.Y.U. Downtown hospital site with representatives from the Economic Development Corporation; the Fulton St. study; the Eastside waterfront story; Peck Slip Post Office issues; future development plans for Seaport Marketplace; a liquor license application for 146 Beekman St.; and proposed locations for public pay telephones.
On Tues., April 13, the Battery Park City Committee will meet at 6 p.m. at 1 World Financial Center, 24th floor, to hear a presentation on the Vesey St. bridge by the NYS Department of Transportation and to discuss a resolution on an application to modify the sidewalk café permit for an enclosed café at 320 South End Ave.
On Wed., April 14, the Executive Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. to discuss committee reports.
On Thurs., April 15, the Nominating Committee will meet at 5 p.m. to select a chairperson for the committee and to develop a plan to communicate with community board members and identify candidates for officer positions.
On Thurs., April 15, the Landmarks Committee will meet at 6 p.m. to discuss an application to install new storefront infill at 56 Walker St.
Panel meet
The government panel investigating the Environmental Protection Agency’s response to the World Trade Center collapse will hold its second public meeting on Monday, April 12 at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center at 199 Chambers St. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. Public comment sessions will be held at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Speakers must register in advance. To register, visit www.epa.gov/wtc/panel or call 1-800-803-2833.
Correction
In last week’s editorial, we incorrectly described the proposed apartments to be built at Tribeca ’s Site 5C as luxury condos. The apartments will be market-rate rentals, not condos.
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