From the Daily News:A city study next year on the New York State Pavilion from the 1964 World's Fair will analyze the structural stability of its foundation and three deteriorating towers, officials said yesterday.
The $300,000 review is expected to examine two key aspects of the Queens landmark: below-grade parts of its elliptical rotunda and its spaceship-like towers, which were immortalized in "Men in Black."
Preservationists figure the study - the second in two years on the decaying pavilion - will dictate whether the city reuses or demolishes what has become a borough symbol.
A city Parks Department spokeswoman said the analysis will provide "a fuller picture of the situation" and help the agency "determine the next steps."
The city hired the Dutch firm Arcadis to undertake the four-month project starting in March.
The study results will be crucial to the fate of the trio of towers that are visible from major highways.
10 comments:
If the city took all the $$ spent on the same stability study's since 1970s and put it into maintenance it could have been saved already.
They been waiting till it fails and is in danger to the Grand Central Parkway (meaning free state $$ to demolish it)
I can tell them the results from engineers study's they been ignoring for years free.
1- The 3 observation decks sit on steel piles, that stuff is in good condition and stable.
2-The tents support columns are another story.
Those column (caps) sit on wood piles. Although pickling and lack of oxygen from ash mud has slowed deterioration it still continues somewhat each year.
These pile caps will need to be excavated, shored up and back filled at least 4-8 feet around with concrete.
This means the white and red perimeter wall, rooms and mezzanine walkway will have to be removed, the map will be history.
1.5 million $$ to start stabilization .
$80 million to restore like it was in 1964. Complete with new Otis Skystreak's and wheelchair access that meet today's codes.
The city is fulla shit BTW, the powers that be are just praying it gets failing grade so they can knock it down with state and federal funds should it threaten the GCP
This shipped sailed the day Koch removed the roof over the Pavillion's terrazzo mapped floor.
My father worked on the install of the map.
The City was broke then as we are now.
Gotta learn to let some things go, people.
Yes. Let it go. It should have been maintained--that is the job of govt. Just like we maintain our homes. Too bad. It was nice. This is a case of dereliction of duty and neglect. It is a blighted area now.
The cost of that study is shameful! And why start down the road of repairs which will be over budget--as always--and delayed for years like every other project. It will cost twice as much as whatever initial cost they attach to it. Or is the fix already in and the company that will be picked has already paid off these crooked Queens pols?
This pavilion structure is truly representative of NYS! It is decaying badly and risks falling down into a junk heap. There is tons of money to study it but it has no useful function if money were provided to restore it.
As we all now know, construction in this city (and elswhere) is cheap. It's the real estate that's expensive. Tearing it down and building a brand new one is the way to go. The pavillion became a hazard bythe mid 70's, and has been an eyesore ever since.
I expect this costly study to be followed by another costly study, by another costly study.
Reporter Nicholas Hishon ought to be praised for not letting his story go, constantly coming back for follow-ups. His editors ought to be praised as well, for letting the story run.
The NYS Pavilion is the Eiffel Tower of Queens, our counterpart to Brooklyn's Parachute Tower.
You already know what's going to happen, they're going to see that its unsafe and will tear it down, much like the rest of they city. Then he'll rename flushing meadows park to David Dinkins park and have Sadik Khan close off the ring road around it to cars and make it bikes only. The viscious cycle of Berg's NYC continues...
It will cost more $$$ to take this down without killing a couple workers, destroying the theatre and shutting down the GCP then to stabliize and spiff it up.
This is due to the way it was built.
The Tent's Crown was built on the ground then slowley hoisted up and welded to support points on the colums.
Also If you look carefullys the 3 observation decks are actually hanging from arms by cables.
The lowest demo bidder will make a mess of things, demolition is the worst option.
OMHO Only its builder Phillip Johnson and his workers can take that down safley, all are now gone.
Also, considering the state government's abandonment of its namesake NYS Pavilion, I propose that it be renamed the Philip Johnson Pavilion.
Johnson was an architect who truly left his mark on New York and on his profession. He died in 2006 at age 98.
As an amateur local historian, I feel strongly enough about this, that I am putting my name on this post.
Helen Marshall and her predecessor Claire "the asshole from hell" Shulman both purposely let this decay in order to hand over to the highest bidder for more overdevelopment, and they were blatantly vocal about not preserving them too, just like all the rest of Queens history has decayed and been demolished.
Isn't politics grand (larceny)?
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