Last, month Westbrook Partners and Atlas Capital Group agreed to buy 250,000 square feet of air rights at the dilapidated Pier 40 at Hudson River Park, with the $100 million price earmarked for repairs at the facility. But this week, locals expressed skepticism that it would be enough.
Downtown residents spoke at at a public hearing at the Department of City Planning, voicing concerns about the park’s function as a hub for youth sports leagues, as well as the project’s impact on local school and emergency services.
“Speaking from a youth sports perspective, this facility provides space for literally thousands of children year-round,” Andrew Zelter, president of the Downtown Little League, said at the meeting, according to DNAinfo.
In written statement read by Assembly Member Deborah Glick, local officials requested a full, itemized list of the planned repairs to the former cargo terminal, along with their costs.
James Yolles, a spokesman for Hudson River Park Trust, which manages the park, said such a list hasn’t yet been produced, but that the $100 million would be enough to cover repairs.
“This is a 52-year-old pier that was built for 50 years of use so pretty much everything needs to be replaced,” he said.
Dan Miller, a former president of the Greenwich Village Little League, stressed the urgency of the project.
“It’s crucial that City Planning understand the importance of the pier because without it, New York City downtown is unlivable,” he said.
Westbrook and Atlas are planning their five-building, 1.7 million-square-foot St. John’s Terminal project just across the street from the park. It will contain 1,586 units in about 1.3 million square feet of housing, 30 percent of which will be affordable. [DNAinfo] – Ariel Stulberg