 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Public Speaks Out on Pier 40 Fields
The gathering, a joint public meeting and hearing of the Hudson River Park Trust, the Trust’s Advisory Council, and Community Board 2, was a step in the Trust’s process of selecting a developer for the huge pier, now a parking garage and athletic field. Two proposals are under consideration, one by Related Companies and the other by children’s camp operator CampGroup LLC and co-developer Urban Dove, a recreational organization for children from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Related’s “Pier 40 Performing Arts Center” would include spaces for the Tribeca Film Festival, the Cirque de Soleil, and BASE Entertainment, a live entertainment promoter, as well as lawns, a dog run, several basketball or tennis courts, a marina, parking and athletic fields. “We have no use for any development at the expense of our kids and the community,” said Brian Giffin, one of several Downtown residents who spoke during the public comment session. “In Community Board 1, we absolutely rely on this space. Our communities need additional fields. Existing sports fields on the piers should be preserved and expanded upon.” With the growth of the Downtown Soccer League and Downtown Little League, the games and practices of local children are now held at Pier 40 as well as their home field in Battery Park City.
“We don’t need an elaborate circus or a film festival,” said Carole DeSaram, a Community Board 1 member representing her Tribeca Community Association. “The fact of the matter is, children come first, and shame on you.” Under the Related plan, there would be two full-size soccer fields and one smaller field. These would be slightly larger than the existing courtyard field, which now accommodates two full-size soccer fields, and would be located on the 40-foot-high rooftop of the pier structure. Several residents complained that such ballfields would be too windy for play. The People’s Pier team received a better reception, if only because they promised not to relocate existing ball fields or close them during construction. “The courtyard ballfields are a safe haven for thousands of kids,” said Jai Nanda, director of Urban Dove. “And the People’s Pier ensures that no one will take these fields away.” The team proposes to retain the current courtyard fields as well as construct three additional outdoor fields on the roof of the existing structure. (One soccer field is there now.) According to Nanda, these would be available for public use for all but the eight weeks of the year when day camp is in session. But the response from the community to both proposals was tepid at best.
Numerous elected officials—including Borough President Scott Stringer, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, and City Councilman Alan Gerson—pledged to stand behind the community in its push for recreational facilities. But the Hudson River Park Trust Board will make the ultimate decision on the proposals. And as it stands, they may have a hard time pleasing ballfield-hungry residents.
Don Schuck, president of the Downtown Soccer League, also expressed concerns about field closures during construction under the Related plan. “It would be a real challenge to play sports Downtown if the Pier 40 fields are closed for any length of time,” he said. Costello said the Downtown youth sports community would fight both proposals to the “bitter end.” “There is no doubt,” he said, “that both programs would create a less usable facility than what we have now.” More information on the proposals is available at www.hudsonriverpark.org. Written comments may be emailed to comments@hrpt.state.ny.us until June 19.
|
