A rendering of the north towers in the St. John’s Partners plan, viewed from the north. At 430 feet tall, this would be the development’s highest point.
BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | Community members can learn more about the massive St. John’s Partners project planned for Hudson Square — and also offer their input — at a meeting of a new Community Board 2 working group formed specifically to review the development.
The Pier 40 Air Rights Transfer Working Group will hold its first public meeting on Thurs., Nov. 12, at 6:30 p.m., at New York University, 194 Mercer St., Room 306. The room has a 93-person capacity.
The St. John’s project, between Washington and West Sts. and Clarkson and Charlton Sts., includes more than 1,500 residential units, nearly 500 of those earmarked as affordable senior housing. It would also contain retail; many Downtowners are hoping for a supermarket.
David Gruber, the immediate past president of C.B. 2, has been tapped by the board’s current chairperson, Tobi Bergman, to chair the working group. The other members include Rich Caccappolo, Anita Brandt, Dan Miller, Katy Bordonaro, Robert Woodworth and Ritu Chattree.
According to Gruber, at the Nov. 12 meeting, the project’s scoping document — including the project summary — will be presented. (The document can be found on thevillager.com). The committee may consider recommendations for changes to the draft scope for the project’s Environmental Impact Study.
Project details will be considered during the city’s ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure), a seven-month public review process that starts after the application is certified, possibly in January or February.
“This is not like a regular Q & A,” Gruber explained of the meeting. “This is for people to get a look at the scoping, and if they think there were things that weren’t in there, they can point it out — in terms of traffic, schools. It’s not just about environmental impact. I want to make sure they look at what will happen with schools.”
Another issue Gruber is concerned about is improving pedestrian access to Pier 40, possibly by a footbridge.
However, he said, the working group — at least at this meeting — won’t be examining the air rights transfer process per se, under which St. John’s Partners would buy 200,000 square feet of unused development rights from Pier 40 in Hudson River Park for $100 million to use in the project. There definitely will be discussions about that, but later on, he said.
“We’re going to have a lot of meetings,” about the mega-project and Pier 40, he assured, with a chuckle.
A big part of this upcoming meeting, though, will be devoted to community input.
“I don’t want us to talk to much,” Gruber said. “It’s really to hear what the community has to say.”
Correction: As of press time, this meeting had been set for Mon., Nov. 16, at Greenwich House. C.B. 2 subsequently changed the meeting date and venue because Borough President Gale Brewer is holding a forum on Nov. 16 on the city’s new plan for mandatory inclusionary zoning, and C.B. 2 did not want its meeting to conflict with that one.
