Complaints Heard Loud and Clear, Concerts Won't Return to Pier 26

The Specials were among the bands to perform last month on Pier 26. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

This summer will be the grand finale for concerts on Tribeca's Pier 26.

The popular summer series of rock concerts, which has drawn audiences in the thousands but also a slew of noise complaints from nearby residents, will not resume next season, according to a Hudson River Park official.

Thomas Lindon, events director for the Hudson River Park Trust, announced the decision in an email to Diane Lapson, president of the tenant association at Independence Plaza, whose residents had complained the most.

"While our staff has heard from many people including Tribeca residents who are enjoying the experience of listening to this caliber of music from the beautiful Pier 26 setting," Lindon wrote, "we are unhappy that the community is so divided, therefore the series will not return to this location."

Five concerts produced by Bowery Presents, including fun. and The Specials, have so far been held on the pier this summer, and four more are scheduled, with the last one on Sept. 7. Bowery Presents relinquished its right to produce a fifth concert, Lindon wrote.

Calling the series a "pilot program," Lindon wrote that the trust viewed the series as a way to enliven and bring "quality music" to the unfinished pier. "We did not realize that sound from Pier 26 with this speaker configuration would reverberate in surrounding buildings to the degree that has been reported by many of our neighbors," he wrote.

In an email, Lapson called the trust's decision to fulfill its contractual obligations to Bowery Presents, but not renew it, "a good compromise."

"HRPT was very considerate," Lapson said, "once they realized this was not going to work down here and I appreciate their efforts to correct the mistake."

It is unclear whether the Heritage of Pride festival, which presented three days of music in late June, including an appearance by Cher, would return next year. The Pride events are not under the trust's control.

At Community Board 1's Quality of Life Committee meeting last month, Heritage of Pride co-chair Chris Frederick said the organization, which is supported by the events, was willing to look for ways to lower the sound, such as repositioning speakers or using smaller ones—or even holding smaller events on the first two days.

"We are willing to work with people on how to fix the noise and how to help the community feel better about these events," Frederick said, "but to completely just not let us have [the event] would be a disaster."

Trib editor Carl Glassman is a tenant in Independence Plaza.