Category Archives: News

Christmas Lighting South Cove Battery Park City

Battery Park City’s Tree-Lighting Ceremony Tonight

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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?

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

NY Officials Consider Directing Millions to World Trade Center Site

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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?

James Cavanaugh Resigns from the Battery Park City Authority

Former BPCA President Hired By State Lobbying Firm

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James Cavanaugh Resigns from the Battery Park City Authority
James Cavanaugh Stands Accused of Squandering BPCA Funds

Despite being accused last month of squandering $300,000 in Battery Park City Authority funds on superfluous things like extravagant parties and lunches, former BPCA president Jim Cavanaugh is now gainfully employed at Empire Strategic Planning, a state lobbying firm.

Cavanaugh’s term as president of the BPCA spanned five years, but he stepped down from the post a month before he was accused of mismanaging finances and playing favorites; he is still eligible for retirement benefits. Cavanaugh labeled the Inspector General’s report about his activities as “nonsense” when it was released.

DNAInfo reports that Empire Strategic Planning was launched by former Republican Senator Nicholas Spano in 2007. Spano and Cavanaugh’s relationship dates back to when Cavanaugh served as Spano’s communications director early in his Senatorial career.

“With new leadership in Albany on both sides of the political aisle, this is a good time for the firm to expand our expertise and our staffing,” Spano said in a statement. “This is a particularly critical time for those seeking to navigate state and local governments, and we intend to be in a strong position to provide assistance to those who need it.”

Spano said that he is aware of the Inspector General’s report regarding Cavanaugh’s issues, but told The Daily News that he was not having reservations about hiring Cavanaugh.

What do you think of the accusations levied at Cavanaugh?

Fireman in the wreckage of the World Trade Center

9/11 Healthcare Bill Supporters Look to Garner Support

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Fireman in the wreckage of the World Trade Center
An NYFD fireman in the wreckage of the World Trade Center (Photo:US Navy)

The 9/11 health-care-for-aid-workers debate rages on.  According to NBC New York and The Associated Press, supporters of a bill that would offer health care aid to workers who came down with various illnesses after working in the wreckage of the World Trade Center are hoping to garner support by displaying the badges of 29 members of the NYPD who were immersed in rescue efforts and later died from 9/11-related sickness.

The badges were put on exhibit on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Monday.

The bill would provide free health care and compensation for 9/11 rescue and recovery workers, who inhaled hazardous materials after the Twin Towers fell; workers subsequently suffered from ailments like asthma, sinuses and reduced lung capacity.

The bill passed the House during Congress’ lame duck session, yet a cloud of scientific doubt hangs over the bill, though. Doctors aren’t sure how many people are sick or how many of these illnesses are actually linked to the dust from Ground Zero.

Case in point: 34-year-old police detective James Zadroga, for whom the legislation is named. Some say he died from respiratory disease, which he contracted from working at Ground Zero; the NYC medical examiner posed a different theory, saying that Zadroga’s lung issues were the result of his abuse of prescription drugs.

Additionally, some Republicans oppose the bill, which would cost $7.4 billion over 10 years, deeming it a move that would increase taxes and eliminate jobs.

What is your opinion of this bill? Is it unfair to deny 9/11 rescue workers aid after they risked their lives to try and save others?

battery-park-city-dog-leash-law

Dogs Banned From Running Free on Battery Park Lawn

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battery-park-city-dog-leash-law
Battery Park CIty dog owners are on a short leash

Manhattan Parks Commissioner Bill Castro will probably be in the dog house with Lower Manhattan pet owners, as he has announced that the city will not allow dogs to run free and off-leash on the lawn in Battery Park. The reason for putting the kibosh on canines? The dogs and their waste could prevent other users from enjoying the spacious, open grass area, which is set for renovation next summer.  The lawn at Battery Park was previously the only large and open space downtown where dogs were allowed to run off their leashes.

Despite banning dogs from the park’s grass, Castro did say that a temporary dog run will be created on one of the park’s asphalt paths. The city will provide movable barriers and mark off over 6,000 square feet of pavement where dogs would be permitted to run and play from 6 to 9 AM daily. The Downtown Dog Owners Association is attempting to fight this decision, garnering 800 signatures along with their request to use the park lawn to exercise their pups. The DDOA says dogs are also part of the local community, and that the asphalt is brutal on paws while natural grace is the perfect surface for running. Some residents also expressed confusion as to why the Parks Department allows dogs to run off-leash in other parks but not Battery Park; size was cited as the issue.

Castro, however, will continue to meet with the DDOA about this issue. The next meeting is slated for December 13.

Do you think this Battery Park ruling is unfair to dogs and dog owners?

9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Site

9/11 Memorial Visitors Will Require Advance Tickets

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9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Site
Illustration of the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site. (Credit: Renewnyc.com)

If you want to visit the September 11 memorial next Fall, Mayor Bloomberg suggests that you plan on reserving advance tickets, reports DNA Info. However, ticketing will be done for safety reasons, not for profit.

The plaza is set to open on September 11, 2011, a decade after the terror attacks but the overall site will still be surrounded by ongoing construction, making it unsafe for open public access. The construction of the 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center and the PATH hub will be happening concurrently.

“We anticipate having ticketing so we can control the number of people who go through security and get onto the plaza, so we don’t have a crush,” said Bloomberg, who serves as the chairmain for  is also chairman of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum foundation. “We want to ensure people [who take bus tours of lower Manhattan] will be able to get in.” Tickets will be free, but how many people will be allowed to visit the site has yet to be determined.  Officials do predict that five to seven million visitors to make the pilgrimage to the site in the first year.

Additionally, the 9/11 museum, on tap to open in 2012, is also expected to require tickets for entry.

Do you plan to visit the 9/11  memorial when it opens?

East River Waterfront, Pier 15

Lower Manhattan Development Corporation Approves $137M in Grants

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East River Waterfront, Pier 15
East River Waterfront, Pier 15 rendering (Photo: LMDC)

Lower Manhattan is about to up the artistic ante and prettify with parks and pedestrian amenities now that The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation has approved $137 million in grants for the region, according to DNA Info. A performing arts center, a pedestrian bridge and an East River park are all being constructed as a result of the funding. The federal money, which is part of the 9/11 recovery effort, was originally set aside for utility companies like Con Edison, but the LMDC are spreading the wealth to other downtown interests.

$100 million has been set aside for the performing arts center, which has been languishing in development for a while  and will be erected at the World Trade Center site. $20 million has been allocated for the foot bridge, which rises over West Street and West Thames Street. $17 million will be used to finish pieces of the East River Waterfront, which includes a path in front of the Battery Maritime Building.  The allocations won’t be enough to finish any of the jobs, but the approvals might convince other sources to contribute so the projects can be completed.

The LMDC also created a $4 million program to encourage business to start-up downtown.

Are you excited about these planned improvements downtown?

Defining Ground Zero beyond the footprints of the Twin Towers

9/11 Rescue Workers Accept Settlements

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Defining Ground Zero beyond the footprints of the Twin Towers
Payouts for 9/11 Rescue Workers Could Total $815 Million (Credit: FEMA)

Consumer Affairs reports that 95% of the 10,000 rescue workers from the 9/11 attacks accepted a settlement providing payouts for health-related claims that were a direct result of their service for the months, even years, after the terror attacks. The rescue workers spent years entangled in litigation, but their resolve should pay off, as the agreement payout could total between $625 and $815 million when all is said and done.

A ranking scale was devised in order to determine which workers got how much. Depending on the severity and nature of their injuries and ailments, the rescue workers are divided into four tiers  and will receive payments ranging from $3,250 to$1.8 million. The lower end of the scale represents workers who endured no injury but who are forced to live with the mental and psychological trauma and stress over the fact that will eventually get sick, whereas the higher end of the scale is reserved for those with more severe health issues. Of the four tiers of injury ranking,  more than half of the plaintiffs fall into the most severely injured category and will account for 94 percent of the payout.

How much a plaintiff is financially rewarded depends on how closely their condition can be correlated to exposure to toxins present at the Ground Zero site; in what would seem counterintuitive on the surface, someone with asthma could be awarded a larger sum than someone with cancer, but that’s because asthma is a condition more closely linked to the site’s contaminants.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg deemed the settlement “a fair and just resolution of these claims, protecting those who came to the aid of this city when we needed it most.”

Does the settlement sound fair to you? Do you think the scale of injury and ratio of payout is fair or is it not scientific enough for your liking?

park 51 rendering

Park51 Developers File For $5 Million in Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Funds

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park 51 rendering
Architectural rendering of Park51's planned futuristic design

Despite their efforts to educate Lower Manhattan dwellers about their plans for the Islamic community center and mosque that will be situated just two blocks from Ground Zero, Park51 developers applied for nearly $5 million in federal grants, according to The Daily Beast. The government set aside $20 billion in funds under a “community and cultural enhancement grant” program overseen by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation with the specific purpose of redeveloping lower Manhattan after the Twin Towers collapsed nearly a decade ago. Given the divided nature of New Yorkers regarding Park51, the fact that the developers filed for funding that they may or not need is expected to incite the ire of on-the-fence locals.

While the LMDC board and Park 51 officials refused to comment on the application due to confidentiality issues, Park 51, which is aiming to provide a community center for Lower Manhattan’s Muslims population, are well within their rights to apply for the grant, as the application stats that religious groups are permitted to make requests as long as they submit “for a facility or portion of a facility that is dedicated to non-religious activities or uses.” A source familiar with the application claims that Park 51 omitted the prayer room from their request.

Park51 maintains that its overarching goal is the “change the conversation about Muslims in America,” but sources speculate that while most Lower Manhattanites are okay with the community center being located in their backyard and a community board approved Park51 in two separate votes,  the request for public funds to develop a private property could anger residents.  Other sources indicate that Park51 doesn’t meet the funding requirements.

What do you think of Park51 requesting federal funding?

9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Site

9/11 Memorial Designer Reflects on Design As It Nears Completion

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9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Site
Illustration of the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site. (Credit: Renewnyc.com)

In 2003, architect Michael Arad was just one of 5,201 entrants in a pool of designers that spanned six continents, 49 states and 63 nations. These visionaries were vying for the chance to design the 9/11 memorial, thanks to a contest launched by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. Arad’s design, “Reflecting Absence,” was chosen as the winning memorial and it will come to fruition next September 11, which will mark the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks and the fall of the Twin Towers. Arad’s design will serve as national memorial of the day, situated right here in Lower Manhattan.

“The weight of history is so heavy here that you just want to get out of the way and let it speak for itself,” Arad told FOX News.  He was an eyewitness to the events that changed life as we know it, which is why his design, which includes two massive waterfalls filling the footprints of the towers, resonated and was ultimately selected. “I left home and the towers were standing, and I came home and they were gone,” he said.

Arad’s Hudson River-influenced vision is inching closer to actualization, as last week, water was pumped through the structure for the very first time. “To hear the water falling behind me, it’s kind of an incredible soundtrack,” he said. “I’ve been waiting to hear this for years.” The fountains will be framed by panels etched with the names of those lost in the attacks.

Will you visit Ground Zero and Arad’s memorial on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks?