South Street Seaport endangered

From WPIX:

Much of it was badly damaged during Superstorm Sandy. And while some shops and attractions have reopened, the Seaport is about to get a big facelift. But not without resistance.

“We are trying to preserve this district; the museum, the waterfront and the boats from unchecked development by a private developer,” David Sheldon of “Save Our Seaport” said Monday.

Sheldon’s group wants the historic details of the district to be respected. According to Sheldon, the proposed redevelopment will ruin the integrity of the neighborhood.

Many fighting redevelopment of South Street Seaport

“You walk down these streets, they are irreplaceable,” Sheldon said.

The Howard Hughes Corporation has proposed revamping the historic district. Early proposals show historic buildings alongside modern structures. Even a mixed-used tower is planned.

A spokesperson from the company said, “We are collaborating with the community right now as part of the Seaport Working Group to identify guidelines for the district that protect its historic fabric, support a vibrant future and address the infrastructure crisis on the piers.”

Tall order for the South Street Seaport

From the NY Times:

South Street Seaport, an often-neglected corner of Manhattan dedicated to enshrining New York’s seafaring past, has been battered by storms, recessions and poor management.

Now, there is a proposal for a major redevelopment of the cobblestone streets, 19th-century brick buildings and piers that would include the reconstruction of the landmark Tin Building and the addition of a marina and a 50-story hotel and apartment tower.

The Howard Hughes Corporation, which controls the seaport under a lease with the city, says it wants to enliven the area and establish a destination for both tourists and New Yorkers.

It is unclear how a glassy tower on the north side of Pier 17 would fit into the historical fabric of the area, but Howard Hughes contends that the building would be the “economic engine” that would allow for the rehabilitation of the crumbling piers and nearby buildings.

The proposal, the company said, will include a still-to-be-determined rescue plan for the financially ailing Seaport Museum, and the sailing ships at Pier 17, which are slowly sinking into the East River.

“The re-envisioned seaport district will transform the piers’ iconic waterfront setting into a vibrant, highly engaging area,” said David R. Weinreb, chief executive of Howard Hughes, “while providing a critical catalyst for the revitalization of Lower Manhattan.”

The company is to unveil its preliminary plan for the first time on Tuesday to local residents and members of Community Board 1, which includes the seaport.

Howard Hughes, which would triple the size of its operations, had hoped to continue negotiating in secret with the city’s Economic Development Corporation while it completed its proposal. But demands by local officials and residents for a more open design process forced the company to make the plans public.

The company’s proposal must be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the City Council before construction can start.

Kiss the South Street Seaport goodbye

From Curbed:

The shopping mall on Pier 17 has been one of Manhattan's quintessential tourist traps for over 25 years. On a hot summer day, the tourists are like bugs circling flypaper, swarming around establishments that include Shoelaces You Never Tie, The Wonders Of Rice, and Christmas In New York. Inside this massive shed, souvenir license plates and steaming trays of cheap food are served up alongside stunning views of the lower Manhattan waterfront. When this troubled old mall is closed down at the end of this week, to be replaced with a shiny new mall designed by SHoP Architects, few New Yorkers will miss it.

Many of the neighborhood businesses near Pier 17 were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy and have not yet reopened. On the side streets of the Seaport, restaurants, theaters, and the Seaport Museum galleries have all been boarded up, abandoned, or vacated, while the Fulton Market Building, another mall owned by the Howard Hughes Corporation, has remained closed since the storm.

After Hurricane Sandy, a number of businesses in the mall closed down, including restaurants like Harbour Lights and Finn's Fish Market Pub.

The entire mall will be closed on September 9th and emptied for a "complete renovation," according to the Howard Hughes Corporation. Their new mall is scheduled to open in 2015.

The subject of many of Rauam's paintings is the Fulton Fish Market, which was closed down in 2005.

The fish market was relocated to the Bronx, leaving behind its old buildings. This newer section of the market was built in 1939 and is located next to the Pier 17 mall.

The building was denied Landmark status in August, according to the Epoch Times, leaving preservationists concerned that its owner, The Howard Hughes Corporation, "will tear the building down and replace it with a high-rise structure."

Though renovations continue on the historic older structures of the neighborhood, the future of the Seaport is far from certain.

Don't understand tearing down a mall to build another one, when the problem is the location, but whatever.

Enjoy what's left of the South Street Seaport (while you can)

From AM-NY:

New Yorkers will have one last summer to enjoy the South Street Seaport they’ve visited for years.

Ravaged by Superstorm Sandy, dozens of Seaport businesses are still closed, and those that were able to stay open continue to suffer, thanks to dwindling foot-traffic and a depressed aura that’s stayed since the October disaster.

Further still, the biggest transformation will come this fall, when Pier 17, known for its restaurants, shops and breathtaking waterfront view, will be torn down by the Howard Hughes Corporation, which owns the lease on the property, to make way for a glassy new complex in 2015, complete with larger stores and a green roof. There’s even a talk of a first-class hotel and apartment buildings later on.

Pier 17 businesses were supposed to be out this week, but City Council late last month granted them one last summer up to Sept. 9.

Of 92 tenants in the Hughes' directory for the Seaport, 35 are closed. All Hughes tenants on Fulton and Front streets, including chains like the Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch, are still shuttered.

South Street Seaport Museum, though it reopened in December, is still crippled from water damage, and some galleries in its main location will close this month for roughly two years to repair heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, the museum's general manager Jerry Gallagher said.

A new Pier 17 is in the works

From Crain's:

The firm that leases the South Street Seaport announced Thursday that it has reached an agreement with the New York City Economic Development Corp. for a major, multi-year revamp of Pier 17.

Howard Hughes Corp. said its plan has been approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, with the support of Community Board 1, according to a statement released by the company. Construction is expected to start next year and to conclude by 2015.

The real estate company plans a "complete transformation" of Pier 17, including adding a glass-enclosed retail center, new architecture and a rooftop space that could be used for concerts and other live-entertainment events, the statement said. Late last year, representatives from the company and their designer, SHoP Architects, met with members of Manhattan Community Board 1 to show them renderings, as previously reported in Crain's.

City even messes up Manhattan historic districts

From the Gotham Gazette:

The seaport area, home to some of Manhattan's oldest architecture, has been the focus for development and revitalization projects dating as far back as the 1970s. Yet after 40 years of development, the neighborhood is far from successful.

In the 1980s, the development of the mall by the Rouse Co. was seen as a way to draw visitors to the area and help the museum's finances. Despite the commercialization of the area, the Seaport Museum of New York still faces financial trouble, taking out numerous loans over the past five years to cover its increasing debts.

The museum must deal with few visitors, on top of what founding president Peter Stanford has called mismanagement by museum chair Frank Sciame and president Mary Pelzer. As a result, the museum has closed its landside galleries, placed 32 staff members on unpaid furloughs and is in talks to remove the neglected historic boats from Pier 17.

The mall, opened in 1985 as a "festival marketplace," akin to Harborplace in Baltimore and Faneuil Hall in Boston, has also had its problems. Residents have blamed the mall for distorting the area's historic atmosphere and driving up property values, forcing out local residents and businesses.

How much do you want to bet that they'll mess it up again?

Trouble at the South Street Seaport

From the Huffington Post:

New York City's South Street Seaport Museum is in crisis mode.

Its ships are in terrible condition and, according to the NY Times, the museum is in talks to move all its ships to another port. This is a terribly sad turn of events, at least for those who realize that South Street is more than just a collection of chain stores on a quaint cobblestoned street.

Even the most absent-minded of shoppers and tourists can't miss the tall-masted ships in the harbor. Soon enough, those ships may be gone with no money to bring them back. If that happens, South Street will truly be just an outdoor mall.

Volunteers -- the museum has always had many good volunteers -- have started a blog called http://saveourships.wordpress.com/ and are calling on supporters to petition the mayor and other elected public officials to lend some financial support. The hope is that it's not too late. Given the tight budget and the loss of money from Albany, the city may not be in a generous mood for a museum but maybe the mayor, who gives away millions to charities each year, can come to the rescue.