Blog trashes C.B. 1
Community Board 1’s resolutions sometimes sound frustrated, or even annoyed — but that’s nothing compared to the resolution Bruce Ehrmann’s wrote on 74 Hudson St., which sounded so angry that real estate blog Curbed.com picked up on it.
Ehrmann, co-chairperson of the Landmarks Committee, was horrified by the proposal for a one-story glass-and-steel retail building over a parking lot in Tribeca’s West Historic District.
“The design would be more appropriate in a strip mall in Queens — No, that denigrates Queens; perhaps a strip mall in New Jersey,” reads one whereas of his resolution. “This proposition is a complete travesty, one deserving a stake driven though its heart, one requiring the wearing of a garlic necklace for protection.”
Then there’s the “be it resolved”: “C.B. 1 begs, beseeches and urges the Landmarks Preservation Commission to throttle, dispatch and reject this application.”
“It was sufficiently bad that it called for some humor,” Ehrmann said of the application, which was proposed by Hudson Parking L.L.C. This project was one of the worst he has ever seen, Ehrmann added.
Curbed posted the entire resolution, and a comment war ensued. Multiple posters attacked the community board — one went so far as to suggest that members are old, bored and lacking attention from their grandkids. Others suggested saving taxpayer money and eliminating the boards altogether.
At least one person jumped on to defend C.B. 1, but the tone of subsequent posts was decidedly negative.
Ehrmann saw the post after a friend sent him the link, and said he was partly surprised by the strong reaction, but he wanted the resolution to make a statement. And, he added, he has received positive e-mails from architects who approve of the board’s stance.
Wall St. deli?
While many Downtowners miss the smell of hot pastrami on Second Ave., the thoroughfare’s eponymous deli smells the money on Wall St. and is looking to leapfrog its old location to open a takeout spot further Downtown in the Financial District. The Second Avenue Deli, now located on, well, Third Ave. and 33rd St. has lines out the door, and we hear Jeremy Lebewohl, part of the new generation who runs the family business, figures he’ll have more table room Uptown if he moves the takeout, plus he’ll get some business from investment banks looking to drop some coin on corned beef.
Laptops delayed
It looks like P.S. and I.S. 89 kids won’t be using the laptops a developer promised them until next fall.
As part of its deal with the city to develop 50 West St., Time Equities promised to give money to the schools for a class set of laptops and technical support. Several weeks ago, Time Equities agreed to advance that funding — after prodding from City Councilmember Alan Gerson and others — even though Time Equities doesn’t technically have to pay up until the deal closes with the city.
That sounded like good news, but since it’s already so late in the school year, the schools only asked Time Equities to advance part of the money, figuring the laptops wouldn’t arrive in time for this school year anyway. The money that Time Equities advanced will pay for electrical work and laptop carts, but not the laptops themselves. So, the school still won’t get the laptop money until Time Equities closes with the city.
UnderCover hears that the closing is “imminent,” but that likely won’t be soon enough for computer classes at P.S./I.S. 89 to start up before summer vacation.
Avi Schick the leader
The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. and its chairperson, Avi Schick, have not always received high marks, but Schick has just scored a Public Leadership Award.
The New York Landmarks Conservancy picked him for the award based on his role in preserving the Survivors Stairway at ground zero.
The staircase, which led from World Trade Center plaza to Vesey St., served as an escape route for some office workers on 9/11. The fight over what to do with the staircase pit preservationists against people who wanted to see work on the site move forward, and the cost to move the stairs at first appeared prohibitive. But Schick brokered the compromise, which led to the Port Authority agreeing to temporarily store the stairs and later drop them into the Memorial Museum.
The Landmarks Conservancy’s 17th Annual Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards, scheduled for Wednesday night, April 30, is also honoring the nonprofit Eldridge Street Project, located in the landmarked Eldridge St. Synagogue.
Payback?
Federal transportation officials emailed UnderCover last week to let us know that Los Angeles just got $213 million in congestion reduction grants from Transportation Secretary Mary Peters to set up HOT (high occupancy toll) lanes. The new system will charge drivers to enter less trafficked lanes and will also pay for commuter buses which will also travel in L.A.’s fast lane. Perhaps we’re now on Washington’s transportation media list for our congestion pricing quips, or maybe the feds wanted to remind New Yorkers that Albany just said no thanks to $354 million for Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s traffic plan.
Assistant Battle
The race for Community Board 1’s officer positions is heating up — or at least getting lukewarm — as the first non-incumbent entered the race last week.
Chelsea-Lyn Rudder is challenging incumbent Marc Ameruso for the assistant secretary spot. Rudder, who ran unsuccessfully for secretary two years ago, announced her candidacy at April’s full board meeting. She currently serves on the Financial District, Quality of Life and Planning committees.
Minus Ameruso, the rest of the board’s incumbents are looking at smooth sailing going into the June elections, though there’s still time for candidates to sign up.
