What’s wrong with the flood control plan for the Lower East Side? Let’s see the report and find out, says a new lawsuit. NYC may have to reveal the contents of a hidden study that supposedly justified the complete destruction of East River Park and the building of a giant levee at double the cost…
Tag: Lower East Side
Over Budget
The CONSTRUCTION BIDS are in, and they are off-the-charts. Not in a good way. The lowest bids for the East Side Coastal Resiliency project will cost $73 million more than the $1.45 billion budget… and they’ve barely started. These bids do not include the new ‘parallel conveyance’ for the enhanced sewer system, or other major components of the plan. Where…
Open Air Quality
How we can get the information we need to breathe free LES Breathe took part in a fascinating panel during Open Data Week, an annual knowledge-sharing event sponsored by NYC Open Data. That’s the agency that provides access to the free public data published by New York City and partners, and the nonprofit BetaNYC, which…
A Student’s View
This letter is from Lower East side eighth grader Amalia H. She tells Gov. Cuomo how East River Park is her refuge and gives a cogent argument for a change in plans to demolish the park. The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York StateNYS State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 RE: East River…
Resolved: No Value No Plan
The Grand Street Democrats passed a resolution Jan. 27 decrying the destruction of East River Park despite the recently discovered lack of a Value Engineering report or study. Such a document is needed for large complicated projects such as the East Side Coastal Resiliency flood control plan. The Grand Street Dems are building a new…
Beyond Dystopic
How to Make a terrible situation far worse by Harriet Hirshorn, Lower East Side I’ve been thinking about the terrible timing of shutting down 60 percent of East River Park in September when schools will be open for in room classes only 1-3 times a week. I’m reading articles in the New York Times about…
Opaque
City officials and Community Board 3 claim they are working with the community on the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR). In fact, they are engaging in a ‘conspiracy of silence’ about the massive park-topped flood wall has becomes less transparent to community partners all the time: • no town hall by electeds in…
Interim Flood Protection
Wrecking East River Park can wait, but the Lower East Side and East Village need storm surge barriers for the hurricane season coming up. The East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) plan that would demolish East River Park is likely to be delayed. “In New York City, which was crippled in 2012 by Hurricane Sandy, the…
There was a plan, and we want it back
It gave us flood protection and didn’t kill our park The Big U was part of a larger plan to protect Lower Manhattan, and our community helped develop it over four years. The city trashed it in late 2018. Now the city is going to trash our entire park and close it for years. Here…
“Hey Dude, don’t be afraid,
Take a sad plan And make it better Remember To let us into our Park Then you can start To make it better” That was the anthem, sung to the tune of “Hey Jude” composed by Marie de Cenival for our demonstration before the City Planning Commission hearing July 31 about the fate of our…
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