A major expansion northwards of Battery Park City is being studied that would add 50 acres to the 92-acre mixed-use enclave that was created on landfill and is now approaching its original build-out.
In a telephone interview today with CityRealty.com, James F. Gill, the chairman of the Battery Park City Authority, said that studies are underway to establish preliminary plans and discussions with various agencies. ¿It¿s a formidable task and in its early stages,¿ he said, adding that there are a lot of ¿hurdles¿ and ¿permissions¿ that would be required to move ahead with the plan.
Mr. Gill said the proposal would extend Battery Park City about 2000 feet to the north to Canal Street as indicated by the area delineated in red in the Google map shown at the right.
¿There is a dearth of affordable housing¿ and that could be a major component of development plans for the expanded site, which he said would be developed along similar lines to the existing Battery Park City, which incorporates the World Financial Center and a broad mix of residential buildings, 35 acres of parks and a mile-and-a-half riverfront esplanade.
The authority recently announced it is funding $130 million from its reserves to the New York City Housing Trust Fund, to create or preserve 4,300 affordable housing units in the city over the next three years.
Mr. Gill noted that the authority¿s experience and expertise in landfill development and ¿green¿ (environmentally friendly) architecture is well established and should ¿soften¿ concerns about the environmental impact of such a huge undertaking.
The expansion, Mr. Gill explained, would use landfill that has been created by dredging to deepen ship channels in the Hudson River. The original Battery Park City was created with landfill from the excavations at the World Trade Center site.
An article in this week¿s edition of Crain¿s New York Business by Anne Michaud quoted Mr. Gill as stating that he wants to present the plan after the first of the year to the state¿s new governor.
Mr. Gill told CityRealty.com that he has not yet discussed the northwards expansion with city officials but has discussed with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg taking over Pier A at the south end of Battery Park City, which was originally in its plans but given to the city many years ago. The clocktower at the end of the pier is an individual city landmark, but the entire building is not. Mr. Gill indicated the authority would like to buy out the building¿s tenant,William Wachtel, and convert the building into a ferry terminal and museum and restaurant complex.
In a telephone interview today with CityRealty.com, James F. Gill, the chairman of the Battery Park City Authority, said that studies are underway to establish preliminary plans and discussions with various agencies. ¿It¿s a formidable task and in its early stages,¿ he said, adding that there are a lot of ¿hurdles¿ and ¿permissions¿ that would be required to move ahead with the plan.
Mr. Gill said the proposal would extend Battery Park City about 2000 feet to the north to Canal Street as indicated by the area delineated in red in the Google map shown at the right.
¿There is a dearth of affordable housing¿ and that could be a major component of development plans for the expanded site, which he said would be developed along similar lines to the existing Battery Park City, which incorporates the World Financial Center and a broad mix of residential buildings, 35 acres of parks and a mile-and-a-half riverfront esplanade.
The authority recently announced it is funding $130 million from its reserves to the New York City Housing Trust Fund, to create or preserve 4,300 affordable housing units in the city over the next three years.
Mr. Gill noted that the authority¿s experience and expertise in landfill development and ¿green¿ (environmentally friendly) architecture is well established and should ¿soften¿ concerns about the environmental impact of such a huge undertaking.
The expansion, Mr. Gill explained, would use landfill that has been created by dredging to deepen ship channels in the Hudson River. The original Battery Park City was created with landfill from the excavations at the World Trade Center site.
An article in this week¿s edition of Crain¿s New York Business by Anne Michaud quoted Mr. Gill as stating that he wants to present the plan after the first of the year to the state¿s new governor.
Mr. Gill told CityRealty.com that he has not yet discussed the northwards expansion with city officials but has discussed with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg taking over Pier A at the south end of Battery Park City, which was originally in its plans but given to the city many years ago. The clocktower at the end of the pier is an individual city landmark, but the entire building is not. Mr. Gill indicated the authority would like to buy out the building¿s tenant,William Wachtel, and convert the building into a ferry terminal and museum and restaurant complex.
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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