All posts by Seth Werkheiser

New Italian-American Museum Being Eyed For Pier A

News, Politics
Pier A
Pier A could become the new home of an Italian-American museum

The New York Times reports that third-generation Italian-American resident Joseph J. Grano, Jr., who was a financier of Jersey Boys, is hoping to develop a new Italian-American museum to serve as the main attraction at Pier A, the 124-year-old Victorian pier that lives at the northern edge of Battery Park City and is controlled by the Battery Park City Authority. The pier is currently under construction.

Grano’s plans are grand – he hopes to position a Roman chariot and a Ferrari at the entrance to demonstrate artistic and technological progress. He also has plans for an exhibit that focuses on Italian artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, as well as composers like Puccini. Furthermore, Grano would like to construct an amphitheater for presentations for visiting students.

Grano also said he has potential investors willing to contribute funding for his proposal.

This $25 million proposal isn’t the only one being considered by the Battery Park City Authority. The organization will make its choice among this and three other proposals sometime next year.

Would you visit an Italian-American museum at the pier?

SouthWest NY

SouthWest NY Restaurant Racks Up 70 Health Code Violation Points

Food, Restaurant Reviews, , , ,
SouthWest NY
SouthWest NY received the most violations in Battery Park City (Photo: southwestny.com)

SouthWest NY, a “contemporary southwestern” restaurant which opened in the World Financial Center in 1999 and enjoys a crowd of power lunchers and happy hour patrons, was slapped with a whopping 70 violation points from Health Department inspectors. The eatery is infested with rodents, roaches and other undesirable critters.

DNA Info reports that SouthWest NY racked up more violation points than any other food establishment in Battery Park City. The restaurant was also cited for its employees slovenly procedures, such as touching food with their bare hands and contaminating raw and prepared food.

Overall, the city is cracking down on restaurants, attempting to grade them on an A through C scale. Any establishment with 28 or more violation points is “awarded” a “C” rating and is subject to monthly follow up inspections until improvement is shown. The restaurants will be forced to shut down if they don’t fix the problems. SouthWest NY obviously ranks in the “C” category but has a chance to appeal once it receives a final rating.

Would you eat at SouthWest NY even if they improved their rating and got rid of their roaches and rodents or has your faith in this foodery eroded?

Clearing the East Bathtub (Detail) by Marcus Robinson

Artist Documents World Trade Center Rebuilding Without Words

Arts, , , ,
Clearing the East Bathtub (Detail) by Marcus Robinson
Clearing the East Bathtub (Detail) by Marcus Robinson (marcusrobinsonart.com)

Artisan and filmmaker Marcus Robinson, a native of Ireland, has been documenting the World Trade Center site rebuild through his “Rebuilding the World Trade Center” installation, which is a series of artistic works, ranging from paintings to drawings to short films. Robinson purposely chose to create a body of work that could not be restrained by language and cultural barriers and therefore elected to demonstrate the events that took place on the site. Robinson has self-funded his project, with some financial help from Silverstein Properties.

DNAInfo reports that Robinson, 51, moved to TriBeCa to be closer to the site. “It’s about the passing of time and the whole idea of transformation,” he said. He began working on the project in 2006, when the first foundation at One World Trade Center was laid down.

To date, the project hosts 40 paintings and 70 drawings and is only scratching the surface of its potential. Robinson hopes to one day craft a film that combines video footage of the events along with his artwork, juxtaposing the physical world with the envisioned one. He won’t show his work or release a film until construction on the site is finished, which will take years. Robinson, however, is committed to seeing this project through to completion at all costs.

Robinson, who has a background in architectural photography and documentary filmmaking, works on his paintings at the World Trade Center site itself, as well as on the 48th floor of 7 World Trade Center, which has spectacular views of the harbor and Midtown. He captures the workers as they do their thing and placed time-lapse cameras around the site. His work is abstract, capturing shapes and colors as opposed to concrete imagery.

Are you interested in seeing the end result of Robinson’s work?

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at World Trade Center

Church Destroyed During 9/11 Taking Legal Action

News, Politics, , , ,
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at World Trade Center
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church destroyed on 9/11

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and leaders of St. Nicholas Church, a Greek Orthodox Church that has roots stemming back to 1916 and that was destroyed by falling debris after the Twin Towers were attacked, have begun legal action by filing a claim against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The leaders are demanding that the church be rebuilt under the terms of a deal that was worked out several years ago but that the PA has since reneged on.

The claim is hefty, as it accuses the PA, which oversees the rebuilding process at Ground Zero, of engaging in “arrogance, bad faith and fraudulent conduct,” as well as “shabby and unlawful treatment.”

Initially, in 2008, the PA agreed to help rebuild the church, originally located on Cedar Street, in a new but nearby location on Liberty Street. The PA also agreed to contribute $20 million to the project. The deal fell through in March when the PA accused the church leaders of making excessive demands; the church countered that the organization backed out of the deal.

The church’s claim also references several civil rights and constitutional violations, accusing the PA of interfering with its right to freely practice religion and of defaming the church, as well. The church seeks to compel the PA to follow through on their binding preliminary agreement. “Filing a lawsuit is not something that we really want to do,” said the Rev. Mark Arey, a spokesman for the church. “We have come to this point because we have been ignored and bullied.”

In addition to the Port Authority, the claim also names the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. as a potential defendant.

Should the Port Authority be beholden to the old terms? Does the church’s suit sound like it has merit?

St. Patrick's Old Cathedral

St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral Designated a Basilica

News, , ,
St. Patrick's Old Cathedral
St. Patrick's Old Cathedral (Photo: oldcathedral.org)

St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in Lower Manhattan has the distinction of being the Big Apple’s first Roman Catholic cathedral and the 200-year-old church was just given a status upgrade! It has been designated a basilica, reports The Associated Press. Archbishop Timothy Dolan “christened” the church with basilica status on Sunday; Pope Benedict XVI approved the designation.

The church, which was erected between 1809 and 1815, was the seat of the Archdiocese of New York until the larger (and more famous) St. Patrick’s cathedral was established in midtown. The church has a rich, storied history of sheltering orphans and providing a ministry to immigrants. In case you are wondering, a basilica has a ceremonial privilege and is recognizes as honorific for its works.

Does this church’s new status as a ‘basilica’ make you want to visit and attend mass there?

One Police Plaza

NYPD Lauded For Human Treatment Towards Mice

News, ,
One Police Plaza
One Police Plaza is fighting a mice infestation (Photo: Flickr @Checco)

Reuters reports that the New York Police Department, which is dealing with an infestation of mice at its lower Manhattan headquarters at 1 Police Plaza, is the recipient of both praise and a “compassion award” from animal rights organization PETA (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals), thanks to the humane methods the PD employs when battling an outbreak of rodents.

The NYPD has replaced glue traps, which kill mice slowly and in a cruel fashion as they struggle to escape, with fast, efficient devices that snap their necks and kill them instantly. The PD elected to use the new traps after PETA appealed directly to Commissioner Ray Kelly to use something fast if a lethal method is the only choice in solving the problem. Spokesman Paul Browne said, “We found other alternatives that would dispatch them more humanely.”

What do you think of the NYPD’s decision to take advice from PETA in dealing with rodent infestation?

Battery Park City Authority’s Audit Process Under Scrutiny

News, Politics

DNA Info reports that the Battery Park City Authority is reviewing its internal audit process thanks to a report that indicated over $300,000 in funds had been misappropriated on extravagances such as parties, lunches and chauffeurs. The BPCA earns profits in the tens of millions of dollars per year while managing debt that numbers around $1 billion.

Internal auditors Roy Villafane, who has since retired, and the still-employed Lisa Miller were criticized in a state Inspector General report for their sloppy bookkeeping; for example, they did not document a car and driver service utilized by former BPCA chairman James Gill.

An Audit Committee meeting was held on Wednesday, which was the first since the report was released, to discuss the matter. Miller is temporarily filling the auditor role but other board members agreed a dedicated auditor is necessary to ensure a smoother work flow and management of funds. A new policy is being formulated, with the possibility of an external company being brought on to conduct the audits.

The next Audit Committee meeting is slated for January.

What should the BPCA do to rectify the problem with their audit function?

Christmas Lighting South Cove Battery Park City

Battery Park City’s Tree-Lighting Ceremony Tonight

News, What's Happening, , ,
Christmas Lighting South Cove Battery Park City
Christmas lights aglow in the South Cove!

At 5:45pm tonight, the traditional tree-lighting ceremony in Battery Park City will take place. The event will last until 7pm in South Cove. Three trees will be festooned with strands of multi-colored lights, which look absolutely magical as they reflect off the water.

In addition to the tree-lighting, there will be caroling and Santa Claus will be in attendance. Piping mugs of hot chocolate and hot cider will be served, along with cookies.

The celebratory event is also philanthropic, as attendees are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys, books and clothing, all of which will be donated to Stockings With Care, a charity launched by Rosalie Joseph, a BPC resident. Stockings With Care’s mission is to offer gifts to children in crisis whose circumstances cause them to lack the same type of fun and festive holiday season that more fortunate kids tend to experience.

Are you attending the tree-lighting?

North Cove Marina Hosts Radio-Controlled Sailboats

Uncategorized, , ,
Remote controlled sailboats sail in the harbor

Just because the warm boating weather is gone and the yachts have migrated South for the cold season doesn’t mean that North Cove Marina has to languish as an unused dead zone in winter! On Saturdays and Sundays, the marina is transformed into a mini race course for 10 radio-controlled Laser sailboats. The marina is open to the public at a cost of $5 per hour, which pays for batteries. A $20 security deposit is required, but then refunded at day’s end. Sessions are determined by demand.

Interested “boaters” are urged to make an advance reservation in order to confirm a boat. If you do not make a reservation, boats will be available to you on standby.

Details are as follows: Upon arrival at North Cove, people should check in at the Dock Master booth, located on Dock H and access an RC Laser from the Laser Guru after filling out a form and submitting a deposit. There is also a Race Guru in charge of competitive boating. Race results will be recorded.

Do you plan to visit the North Cove Marina to operate a radio-controlled boat?

Larry Silverstein, World Trade Center, Port Authority New York and New Jersey

NY Officials Consider Directing Millions to World Trade Center Site

News, Politics, , ,
Larry Silverstein, World Trade Center, Port Authority New York and New Jersey
Unused Incentives Would be Awarded to Developer Larry Silverstein

Governor David Paterson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg may direct tens of millions of dollars in unused incentives to World Trade Center site developer Larry Silverstein, who held the lease on the Twin Towers when they collapsed and who holds the rights to build three large office buildings on the site. The Wall Street Journal reports that the funds would be directed towards the office space being erected at the former site of the Towers.

Silverstein has already been the recipient of a string of financial incentives. Reports indicate that Silverstein has received public subsidies via low-cost financing and direct aid to the tune of $1.2 billion dollars.

What do you think about building office space at the former site of the Twin Towers?