Walking Tour: Washington Sq Park Past, Present, and Future: A Guide to New York City’s Redesign of a Perfect Public Space * Sunday, July 27th, 12 noon

Washington Sq Pk under construction

Mark your calendars and come out for the second Walking Tour if you missed the first!

Walking Tour: Washington Square Park Past, Present, and Future: A Guide to New York City’s Redesign of a Perfect Public Space * Sunday, July 27th, 12 noon.

Meet up at Washington Square Arch, Fifth Avenue and Washington Square North
* $5 * (Raindate: Sunday, August 3rd)
TRAINS: A,B,C,D,E,F to West 4th Street/Washington Square

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Washington Square Park Blog and Washington Square Community Improvement District(CID) present this unique walking tour of Washington Square Park.

Washington Square Park Blog will offer a guide to the redesign of Washington Square Park combined with history of this wonderful Park.

Some background on the redesign of Washington Square Park :

The pretext: They say they want to align the fountain with the Arch.

In the 1890s, noted architect Stanford White purposefully kept the two unaligned, and that way has worked just fine – thank you very much – for over a century. About this magnificent fountain, Jane Jacobs writes: “In effect, this [fountain] is a circular arena, a theater in the round, and that is how it is used, with complete confusion as to who are spectators and who are the show.”

The reality: They are cutting away public space to control public gatherings and un-permitted performances.

The City is:

• Digging up 18th Century and 19th Century burial grounds

• Ruining the historic nature of the park with much reduction in public space

• Chainsawing 40 to 80-year-old trees (14 cut down thus far. Plans allow for more to be felled.)

• Fencing in the Park

• Removing the famed chess tables (and rebuilding SOME of them)

• Dismantling the large circular Fountain, which also serves as public rallying venue, rebuilding it in a much smaller version eight yards away with vast reduction of the ad-hoc seating

* Renaming the fountain (a plaque on each side) for the billionaire Tisch Family media tycoons … after the Tisch family contributed $2.5 million to the Mayor’s Fund.

• Adding lawn space — more “picture perfect” for NYU’s graduation ceremonies.

• Narrowing the public walkways

* Spending $25-30 Million on this unwanted redesign (the original budget was an already high $16 million; it has now skyrocketed past that).

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Hope to see you — !

Update coming on Washington Sq Park Task Force meeting…

Update on last night’s Community Board 2 Washington Square Park Task Force meeting to come.

Mayor Bloomberg, Part II - The Blanding of New York City

Mayor Bloomberg at a "Dead End"

Chinatown and Lower Manhattan residents protested on Tuesday in front of the Municipal Building bearing 10,000 signatures signaling their opposition to the City Planning Commission’s new rezoning proposal which omits their neighborhood. This omission signals open season for developers, endless construction and the displacement of long-time residents and businesses leading to the further homogenization of another of the city’s unique neighborhoods.

The International Herald Tribune reported in June that Mayor Bloomberg “has rezoned vast swaths of the city to accommodate bigger, more densely populated buildings, encouraging the construction of millions of square feet of office space, hotel rooms and housing. Over all, the number of construction permits for new buildings or major renovations issued by the Department of Buildings has soared 23.3 percent over the past five years.”

The result of all this is a construction boom, signaled by large signs on virtually every block blaring the same two words: “luxury housing.” Existing tenants in smaller, quaint buildings get displaced, the buildings are torn down, diversity and any resemblance to the ‘past’ is bulldozed over, and neighborhood after neighborhood starts to look the same.

As these changes go on around them, long-time landlords with long-time small business tenants start to raise rents, doubling, tripling the figures and those tenants are soon gone and replaced. As if they’re expendable. As if they never existed. The fabric of one too many neighborhoods is frayed, coming apart at the seams.

Yet, this is the climate Mayor Bloomberg’s New York promotes and encourages.

Juan Gonzalez writes about the “Lower East Side rezone plan another Mike Bloomberg boondoggle” in today’s New York Daily News:

“Theirs [Chinatown/Lower East Side residents] is a story that has become all-too familiar during the Bloomberg era: another stable neighborhood turned upside down by a massive rezoning. The sheer number of these rezonings - from Columbia University to Hudson Yards to Greenpoint-Williamsburg (Brooklyn) to Willets Point - boggles the mind.”

Gonzalez continues, “City officials routinely claim it’s for the good of the neighborhoods, but in the end a handful of well-connected developers and Big Box stores end up the big winners. Small businesses and low-income New Yorkers keep getting pushed out.”

It’s no coincidence that our city is vanishing at such a quick pace. It’s the blanding of our city, put into place in neighborhood after neighborhood, public space after public space, to create the City that Mayor Bloomberg, a billionaire, envisions. It’s a less interesting one but the billionaires and their friends are happy. That’s what matters, right?

What’s the answer?

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Photo: RS Eanes

Mayor Bloomberg, Part I - on his finances

Today’s headlines provide the information that Bloomberg L.P., Mayor Bloomberg’s private company, and one of the Mayor’s earliest business partners, Merrill Lynch (which provided the “seed money” for the venture) are “parting company.”

The New York Times reports that the “deal … places a public value on the mayor’s private company, Bloomberg L.P. That figure: At least $22.5 billion.”

The article continues, “Mr. Bloomberg is expected to buy Merrill Lynch’s 20 percent stake in Bloomberg L.P., the financial data and news provider he founded, for about $4.5 billion, people briefed on the deal said Wednesday. The sale will be handled through the trust that manages the mayor’s assets.”

Bloomberg easily spent $73 million on his election campaign in 2001 and more than that in 2005 on his re-election campaign, when presumably people of New York City were familiar with him.

The Times’ article omits mention of the what & why of the “trust.” The “trust” was put in place when Michael Bloomberg became Mayor of New York City. It was suggested by a city regulatory agency at the time he was running that Bloomberg divest himself from Bloomberg L.P. - advice he quickly ignored. With the news today clarifying the company’s worth, we can see why.

NYU: If someone is going to eat up and destroy neighborhoods, it might as well be us

Downtown Manhattan, NYU Flags Abound

New York magazine covers NYU in their Real Estate section this week with a piece entitled “NYU’s Olive Branch.” Subtitled: “The school wants to expand - and says it’ll be a better neighbor. Good luck, guys.” With no mention of the pending destruction of the Provincetown Playhouse or any outline of NYU’s history of disregard for its West and East Village neighbors as it plants its flags seemingly everywhere, the article feels incomplete.

Yet the writer, S. Jhoanna Robledo, does get some choice quotes and information from Alicia Hurley, NYU’s vice president of government affairs and community engagement. (Gotta love that title.) She says, “We finally realized we were on an unsustainable track. We decided we [had] to restructure and invite the community to the table.”

In February, NYU “unveiled its plan for 6 million square feet of new space, half of it housing” for their 23 year plan, Plan 2031.

The university’s plan is to add of much of this in downtown Manhattan - for the convenience of its students and faculty. A faculty member is quoted: “It’s a huge lure - Greenwich Village, subsidized rental. If I wasn’t employed by them, I’d feel like NYU is a huge monster eating up the best neighborhood.”

As recently as June, NYU announced plans to destroy basically all of the Provincetown Playhouse and adjoining buildings, except for four walls and the theater entry facade, despite overwhelming community opposition. So where’s the sustainability?

Ultimately revealed is NYU’s true position on the subject: If someone is going to gobble up the neighborhood, why shouldn’t it be them? Hurley says, “What would be around Washington Square Park if it wasn’t NYU? Do you think it would be a soft, gentle area of brownstones? Or high-end condos?”

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New York Magazine article here.

NYU’s Plan 2031.

Previous coverage of Provincetown Playhouse (including its history) and Community Board 2 vote in support of NYU’s plans despite overwhelming community opposition.

Vanishing New York Blog’s One Year Anniversary

I enjoy reading Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York Blog. It’s somewhat bittersweet. Jeremiah (not his real name) frames everything so perfectly. The issues and places being framed are somewhat sad in themselves, as his framework is the vanishing of New York. He chronicles the places as they go and mentions the ones he hopes will stay. Things move so quickly in CEO Mayor Bloomberg’s New York. I suppose in the back of everyone’s minds - who chronicles the changes - is a hope that it will all stall just-a-little-bit. Under Mayor Bloomberg…? I don’t know if that is possible. But there’s always hope.

VNY writes: “The blog has connected me to new people, both in person and electronically. It also reacquainted me with New York. For awhile, I’d been turning away from the city, a place where I no longer feel at home. But writing the blog forced me to turn outward again. It sent me out walking and got me to travel around Manhattan and the outer boroughs to seek and find what remains.”

Sometimes I feel that way also. All of a sudden looking at everything in a different, brighter light. Appreciating things I took for granted, including Washington Square Park. Somehow appreciating them almost makes it harder. And yet, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

if you haven’t checked out Vanishing New York, do so. It’s his blog’s one year anniversary today.

City Hall Park Bike Lane Controversy - and what about “public esplanades” on Broadway?

Squirrel at City Hall Park

In theory, more bike lanes and more public space are a good thing. But some of the recent efforts by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) to add more of each are a bit, um, confusing. The most recent is the arrival of a bike path through City Hall Park.

A large swath of City Hall Park that flits behind City Hall was closed for years after September 11th, 2001 for “security concerns.” It was the stick-to-it-ness of a group called Friends of City Hall Park (which ultimately threatened a lawsuit) that got this portion of the park reopened this summer.

They weren’t able to rest for too long.

The Tribeca Trib reports: “In June, the DOT unveiled plans [to Community Board 1] for a bike path connecting Hudson River Park to the Brooklyn Bridge. The proposed path was to run the length of Warren Street from the river to the bridge, with a short, connecting jaunt through the north end of City Hall Park, between City Hall and the Tweed Courthouse. After seeing the plans, CB1 voted not to support the plan. Two weeks later, the path—indicated by markers set in the pavement and several small signs—was installed anyway.”

Community Board 1 did not mince words or sugar coat their reaction. CB1 member Paul Hovitz stated, “Typical Bloomberg. He’s really not interested in community input unless it supports his position.”

The Tribeca Trib quoted Friends of City Hall Park’s Skip Blumberg: “‘This is part of a pattern of disrespect” by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation.

The main issue is the narrowness of the pathway. Bicyclists cycling through the park mixing with pedestrians are a concern for safety reasons. Friends of City Hall Park would like the DOT to implement a “dismount and walk rule.” The DOT has said they will not do this.

Transportation Alternatives weighed in, telling the New York Times, although they support the bike path through City Hall Park, they would like to see (instead) the addition of a bike lane on Chambers Street. The DOT believes this road is too dangerous for most cyclists.

Then, there is DOT’s plan to make “public esplanades” along Broadway between 34th Street and 42nd Street, removing two traffic lanes to do so. It’s hard to imagine this. For some more insight, The New York Times turned to Barbara Randall, the executive director of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District, who said, “I’m envisioning it as a public park on the street.”

The Times‘ reports that the plans include “setting aside the east side of the roadway for a bicycle lane and a pedestrian walkway with cafe tables, chairs, umbrellas and flower-filled planters.”

As with most “initiatives” put forth by the Bloomberg Administration, the Business Improvement Districts play a major role.

The Fashion Center BID, along with the Times Square Alliance, and the 34th Street Partnership, two other area BIDS, are working with DOT “to create the boulevard.” The three BIDS “have agreed to pay for maintenance, which primarily involves buying and maintaining the plants for the planters.” The yearly cost for this is estimated at $280,000.

A local worker, Corey Baker, had a hard time envisioning the appeal of this. He told the Times, “They’ll have carbon monoxide in their tuna fish.”

Of course, it all remains to be seen.

Perhaps if the City would leave our great public spaces alone that actually work as public spaces (see: Washington Square Park, Union Square Park), and not take away parks that are desperately needed (see: Bronx. Yankee Stadium) and not privatize every space in sight (see: all of the above, as well as Randall’s Island), and not cut down thousands of mature trees in our public spaces (reference: all of the above), they wouldn’t have to fiddle in areas that just don’t quite make sense.

“Honey, I Shrunk the Park” — City’s Plans call for 23 percent reduction in “public space” around Washington Sq Park Fountain

Figures don’t lie. But a lot of liars figure.

The NYC Parks Department figures that the “new and improved” Washington Square Park will have just as much public space as the old one. But let’s check the figures:

* The EXISTING entire plaza is currently 51,223 square feet.

* The PROPOSED plaza area will be 39,419 square feet.

That’s an 11,804 square foot reduction, right in their official plans.

* The old and expansive interior plaza was 27,650 square feet.

* The PROPOSED interior plaza will be 20,662 square feet.

Who’s lying? Who’s figuring?

It was a lie when George Vellonakis, the new plan’s “designer,” told the Community that the reduction in public space would be five percent.

The shrinking of the public space in Washington Square Park has a tremendous impact on how it will be used, which in turn impacts on the character of the park. Who gathers there? HOW will they gather? And how will the new, constricted space be regulated?

Will musicians need official approval? Will performers and political speak-outs be required to obtain a permit? Will the free spirit of the Park be shredded and destroyed?

Maybe that’s Mayor Bloomberg’s whole point.

* Recycled Entry * Originally Published March 17th, 2008 *

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WSP Blog NOTE: - The reduction of public space at Washington Square Park - and a mandate to increase it - is something the Community Board could still address as well as NYC Council Member Alan Gerson and Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum.

Community Board 2 Washington Sq Park Task Force Meets Thurs. July 17th

After a long hiatus, Community Board 2’s Washington Square Park Task Force meets this coming Thursday, July 17th, at 6:30 p.m. NYU Silver Building, 32 Waverly Place, Room 520 (ID Required). I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that it’s being held in an NYU Building (although it would be more reassuring if it was in a different location).

This is the agenda, as posted on Community Board 2’s web site:

1. Status report on phase 1 construction.
2. Status report on phase 2 planning and design, including initial report on dog run design.
3. Status report on comfort station and maintenance building planning.

4. Design of playgrounds including “mounds” area.

When I encountered Council Member Alan Gerson at the City Council Parks Department Budget Hearing in May, he alerted me that the Task Force could weigh in on the pathways and design elements (planters, benches, etc.) which are clearly already underway at the Park. And not just the playgrounds and the “mounds.” (I would call Council Member Gerson’s office to clarify this but, as his office does not return my phone calls, I have no way of getting his take on this.)

Is that not so? None of the items on this agenda seem to have any empowering aspects to them or any regulation over the look or design of the park. (For those who have been entrenched in this issue for the long haul, I realize that may sound naive.) It’s not the playgrounds that are going to change the entire character of the Park.

What do we want this Task Force to be doing? What should the Community Improvement District be asking for? The Community Board has a tendency to shirk back and then attribute this to their “advisory” status (which is also used as an excuse for not taking stronger positions), now it’s time for them to step forward.

Actually, Mr. Vellonakis, the Washington Square Park Fountain is already Aligned. As is (or was - for 137 years), Fountain is Park’s Center

*Recycled Entry * Originally published June 2nd, 2008; Edited version *

Watching the screening of the documentary “Washington Square SQUARED” last night at the Bowery Poetry Club, there was some key footage featuring Parks Department designer George Vellonakis. It is his plan that cuts up and moves all the pieces in this successful park into configurations and contortions that few prefer - and yet the plan proceeds.

There is much discussion of the “aligning” of the fountain in the film — the Parks Department plan is to move it 23 feet east so that it aligns with the Arch at Fifth Avenue. There’s much appreciation by users of the Park of the un-alignment of the fountain and the Arch. Something about the fountain not being connected to Fifth Avenue works when you enter Washington Square Park: you escape the city - yet you meld with your neighbors within it in unique ways. It’s a great public space. Mr. Vellonakis’s design aspires to destroy that.

But a little known fact that is somewhat key is that the fountain actually IS aligned. It’s not a mistake that it was in that specific location.

In Emily Kies Folpe’s book, It happened on Washington Square, she writes at length about the installation of the fountain. She states that the fountain was “placed at the midpoint of the park’s east-west axis, the fountain gave the Square a definitive central focus.” The fountain was installed in 1870 and “dominates its center.” When the park was redesigned in 1871, retaining that focal point was a key part of the design plan. Folpe writes in her 2002 book, “Despite later changes, the legacy of the 1871 design lingers on in today’s Washington Square.”

Until Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Parks Department get their way, and move the famous fountain to align with the Arch, and that’s the end of something that’s worked quite successfully for 137 years.

** The above is a schematic of the new redesign. Don’t let all the greenery fool you.**

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New! – To get a true picture of what the redesign of Washington Square Park entails and additional history of this fabulous Park, come to the Walking Tour! Next one: Sunday, July 27th, 12 noon. Meet at Washington Square Park Arch @ Fifth Avenue.