A History of Brooklyn Bridge Park

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A History of Brooklyn Bridge Park Page 26

by Nancy Webster

34 Philip LaRocco and Alair Townsend, press release, February 18, 1986.

  35 Hand and Pearsall, “Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park,” 29.

  36 Brooklyn Heights Association, newsletter, Spring 1986.

  37 Brooklyn Heights Association, board of governors, Annual Meeting minutes, February 25, 1986.

  38 Quoted in Tracy Garrity, “Piers Panel Throws Cold Water on Halcyon Port Authority Study, and Opts for Housing,” Phoenix, February 25, 1986.

  39 Ibid.

  40 Brooklyn Heights Association, newsletter, Fall 1986.

  41 New York City Public Development Corporation, New York City’s Waterfront.

  TWO. FIGHTING BACK

  1 Scott M. Hand and Otis Pratt Pearsall, “The Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park, 1986–1988,” 2014, published on the Brooklyn Historical Society catablog, http://brooklynhistory.org/docs/OriginsBrooklynBridgePark.​pdf

  2 Anthony Manheim to Scott Hand and Otis Pearsall, July 28, 1986.

  3 Anthony Manheim, interview by David Shirley, February 25, 2014.

  4 New York City Public Development Corporation, New York City’s Waterfront: A Plan for Development: A Report to the Mayor by the New York City Public Development Corporation (New York: Public Development Corporation, July 1986), 4.

  5 Henrik Krogius, “Will Brooklyn Heights Lose Sight of Manhattan’s Skyline?” [editorial], New York Times, August 30, 1986.

  6 Quoted in Brooklyn Heights Association, newsletter, Fall 1986.

  7 Scott M. Hand to Earl Weiner, May 16, 1986.

  8 Brooklyn Heights Association, newsletter, Fall 1986.

  9 Otis Pratt Pearsall, memorandum, July 14, 1986.

  10 Scott M. Hand to Philip LaRocco, August 25, 1986.

  11 Benjamin Crane, interview by David Shirley, February 28, 2014.

  12 Ibid.

  13 Judy Stanton to Scott M. Hand, February 6, 1987.

  14 Quoted in Brooklyn Heights Association, board of governors, Annual Meeting minutes, February 24, 1987.

  15 “Brooklyn Heights Association Pier Study Revealed Before Audience of 400,” Brooklyn Heights Press & Cobble Hill News, February 26, 1987.

  16 Quoted in ibid.

  17 Ibid.

  18 Buckhurst Fish Hutton Katz, The Future of the Piers: Planning and Design Criteria for Brooklyn Piers 1–6 (New York: Bruckhurst Fish Hutton Katz, 1987), 37–38.

  19 Irene Janner, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, August 26, 2014.

  20 Richard D. Lyons, “In Brooklyn Heights, a Spotlight on 87 Neglected Acres,” New York Times, October 27, 1985; Anthony Manheim to Scott Hand and Otis Pearsall, July 22, 1986.

  21 Quoted in June Rogoznica, “Power Players of the Waterfront,” Round-Up, May 1987.

  22 Thomas J. Lueck, “Office Growth Slows in Boroughs Outside of Manhattan,” New York Times, February 15, 1988.

  23 Quoted in Alan S. Oser, “Perspectives: Downtown Brooklyn; Coming Attractions for Office Tenants,” New York Times, June 28, 1987.

  24 Quoted in Richard D. Lyons, “Fair Winds Building for East River Plans,” New York Times, August 8, 1987.

  25 Buckhurst Fish Hutton Katz, Future of the Piers.

  26 James Nolan, “New York Legislators Charge Agency Is Partial to New Jersey Piers,” Journal of Commerce, September 21, 1987.

  27 Quoted in ibid.

  28 Quoted in ibid.

  29 Hand and Pearsall, “Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park,” 56.

  30 Quoted in “Hearing Debates Waterfront Planning.” Brooklyn Publication, October 3–9, 1987.

  31 Hand and Pearsall, “Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park,” 58.

  32 Ibid., 59.

  33 New York City Charter, “City Planning,” section 197-c: Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (New York, July 2004); Thomas L. Waite, “Pier Redevelopment Plans Stir Concern,” New York Times, May 1, 1998.

  34 Manheim, interview.

  35 Quoted in “Port Authority Pier Planning Action Angers Heights Group,” Brooklyn Paper, October 24–30, 1987.

  36 Quoted in ibid.

  37 Quoted in Oser, “Perspectives: Downtown Brooklyn.”

  38 Quoted in “Port Authority Moves to Open Pier Area for Development,” Phoenix, January 11, 1988.

  39 Community Board 2, Planning and District Development Committee, meeting minutes, November, 11, 1988, in Hand and Pearsall, “Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park,” 61.

  40 Ibid.

  41 Quoted in “Port Authority in Port Biz for Bucks, Pier Panel Quizzes Agency Reps on ‘Profit’ Motive,” Brooklyn Paper, January 23–29, 1988.

  42 Hand and Pearsall, “Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park,” 63.

  43 Anthony Manheim to Scott Hand, Otis Pratt Pearsall, et al., November 10, 1986.

  44 Manheim, interview.

  45 Hand and Pearsall, “Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park,” 65.

  46 Quoted in Brooklyn Heights Association, board of governors, Annual Meeting minutes, February 9, 1988.

  47 Janner, interview.

  48 Hand and Pearsall, “Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park,” 78.

  49 David W. Dunlap, “Brooklyn’s Waterfront: Two Visions of a Compelling Vista,” New York Times, August 19, 1988.

  50 Henrik Krogius, “Port Authority Plan Would Turn Heights into ‘Thoroughfare’; No Vision, Only Profit Motive; Port Authority Serves Its Ledgers More Faithfully Than It Serves the Public,” City Express, July 28, 1988.

  51 Hand and Pearsall, “Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park,” 78.

  52 David Offensend, interview by David Shirley, May 2, 2014.

  53 Dunlap, “Brooklyn’s Waterfront.”

  54 Hand and Pearsall, “Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park,” 82.

  55 Ibid., 85.

  56 Community Board 2, Planning and District Development Committee, meeting minutes, November, 28, 1988, in ibid., 88.

  THREE. THE COALITION

  1 Scott M. Hand and Otis Pratt Pearsall, “The Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park, 1986–1988,” 2014, 89, published on the Brooklyn Historical Society catablog, http://brooklynhistory.org/docs/OriginsBrooklynBridgePark.​pdf.

  2 Ibid.

  3 Oliver E. Allen, The Tiger: The Rise and Fall of Tammany Hall (Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press, 1963), 29.

  4 Robert Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York (New York: Vintage, 1974), 18–19.

  5 Ibid.

  6 Ibid.

  7 Max Frankel, “Moses Fences Off Park Area at Night,” New York Times, April 24, 1956.

  8 “Moses Yields to Mothers; Drops Tavern Parking Lot,” New York Times, July 18, 1956.

  9 Martin L. Schneider, Battling for Brooklyn Heights: The Fight for New York’s First Historic District (New York: Brooklyn Heights Association, 2009), 30–37.

  10 Marianne Moore, “The Camperdown Elm,” in The Poems of Marianne Moore, ed. Grace Shulman (New York: Penguin, 2005), 354.

  11 Maria Favuzzi, interview by David Shirley, February 25, 2014.

  12 Quoted in Hand and Pearsall, “Origins of Brooklyn Bridge Park,” 20.

  13 Favuzzi, interview.

  14 Ibid.

  15 Tom Fox, interview by David Shirley, February 27, 2014.

  16 Ibid.

  17 Ibid.

  18 Ibid.

  19 Ibid.

  20 Favuzzi, interview.

  21 Mark Baker, interview by David Shirley, February 26, 2014.

  22 Brooklyn Heights Coalition, board of governors, Annual Meeting minutes, April 8, 1990.

  23 Quoted in David W. Dunlap, “Port Authority Endorses Plan for Pier,” New York Times, December 4, 1989.

  24 Quoted in ibid.

  25 Quoted in ibid.

  26 Quoted in ibid.

  27 Howard Golden to Mario Cuomo, December 4, 1989.

  28 Ibid.

  29 Mary B. W. Tabor, “Despite Opposition, Agency Plans to Sell Brooklyn Piers to Private Developer,” New York Times, April 3, 1992.

  FOUR. THE “13 GUIDING PRINCIPLES”

  1 Brooklyn Heights Association, newsletter, Winte
r 1989.

  2 Tom Fox, interview by David Shirley, February 27, 2014.

  3 Mark Baker, interview by David Shirley, February 26, 2014

  4 Maria Favuzzi to Anthony Manheim and Tom Fox, March 11, 1990.

  5 Anthony Manheim to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition Working Group, October 14, 1990.

  6 Ibid.

  7 Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Waterfront Development Committee, meeting minutes, March 25, 1991.

  8 Michael Clark, “Piers Study Says Park Plan Too Costly,” Brooklyn Paper, January 18–24, 1991.

  9 Quoted in ibid.

  10 Anthony Manheim to John Watts, Tony Schnadelbach, et al., January 22, 1991.

  11 Alan Breznick, “Golden Pushes Plan for Brooklyn Piers,” Crain’s New York Business, April 22, 1991.

  12 Quoted in ibid.

  13 Quoted in ibid.

  14 Quoted in Joanne Nicolas, “Elected Officials Close to a Deal on Piers 1–5,” Brooklyn Heights Press & Cobble Hill News, April 1, 1991.

  15 Quoted in Anne-Marie Otey, “Borough Hall Likes ‘Reuse’ Option, Wants Authority to Pursue Plan: Golden to Meet with Officials on Piers Proposal,” Phoenix, April 4, 1991.

  16 Quoted in Breznick, “Golden Pushes Plan for Brooklyn Piers.”

  17 Howard Golden to Anthony Manheim, April 16, 1991.

  18 Quoted in Michael A. Armstrong, “Reject Piers 1–5 Options; Review Proposals from Boro Prez,” Phoenix, April 25–May 2, 1991.

  19 Anthony Manheim and Tom Fox to Howard Golden, May 21, 1991.

  20 Armstrong, “Reject Piers 1–5 Options.”

  21 Marilyn Gelber, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, August 25, 2014.

  22 Ibid.

  23 Quoted in Michael Clark, “Piers Players Bicker over Stalled Project,” Brooklyn Paper, April 26–May 2, 1991.

  24 Ken Fisher, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, August 25, 2014.

  25 Quoted in Clark, “Piers Players Bicker.”

  26 Quoted in ibid.

  27 Ibid.

  28 Anthony Manheim to John Watts, Ted Liebman, et al., memorandum, July 1991.

  29 Gelber, interview.

  30 Michael Clark, “Cuomo Plan Uplifts Piers Buffs,” Brooklyn Paper, October 4, 1991.

  31 Ibid.

  32 Quoted in ibid.

  33 Quoted in Mary B. W. Tabor, “Despite Opposition, Agency Plans to Sell Brooklyn Piers to Private Developer,” New York Times, April 3, 1992.

  34 Quoted in ibid.

  35 Quoted in ibid.

  36 Quoted in Mary B. W. Tabor, “Port Authority Pulls Back from Sale of Waterfront,” New York Times, April 8, 1992.

  37 Anthony Manheim to the members of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition, February 4, 1993.

  38 Anthony Manheim to Martin Connor and Eileen Dugan, February 19, 1993.

  39 Anthony Manheim to the members of the Brooklyn Bridge Coalition, “Summary Progress Report,” February 23, 1993.

  40 Ibid.

  FIVE. BANGING THEIR CUPS ON THE HIGH CHAIR

  1 Anthony Manheim, notice of General Meeting of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition, July 9, 1993.

  2 Quoted in Anne-Marie Otey, “New Threat on Piers,” Phoenix, April 16, 1992.

  3 Anthony Manheim, interview by David Shirley, February 25, 2014.

  4 Mark Baker, interview by David Shirley, February 26, 2014.

  5 John Watts, interview by David Shirley, February 28, 2014.

  6 Ibid.

  7 Dennis Holt, “Brooklyn Broadside: New Park Board’s Creation Stirs Historic Memories,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 1, 2010.

  8 Quoted in Lynnette Holloway, “Neighborhood Report: Brooklyn Heights; Keeping a Vista View,” New York Times, January 30, 1994.

  9 Quoted in ibid.

  10 Anthony Manheim to Mario Cuomo, January 7, 1994, quoted in “Residents Push State for Brooklyn Bridge Park Creation,” Brooklyn Heights Courier, March 21–April 3, 1994.

  11 “Residents Push State.”

  12 Quoted in ibid.

  13 Watts, interview.

  14 Andrew C. Revkin, “Pataki Lists Tracts to Protect,” New York Times, November 22, 1995.

  15 New York State Assembly, Office of Assemblywoman Eileen C. Dugan, “Assemblywoman Dugan and Senator Connor Secure a Half Million Dollar State Grant for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition,” press release, June 23, 1996.

  16 David Rohde, “Neighborhood Report: Fulton Ferry; Fulton Landing Plan Rises from the Ashes for Another Try,” New York Times, June 15, 1997.

  17 Howard Golden, “Two Plans for Waterfront Are Not in Conflict” [editorial], New York Times, June 6, 1997.

  18 Quoted in David Rohde, “It’s a Park, It’s a Lumberyard,” New York Times, January 19, 1997.

  19 Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 951 F.Supp. 383 (E.D. N.Y. 1997).

  20 David Rohde, “Neighborhood Report: Downtown Brooklyn/Brooklyn Heights—Update; Lumberyard Can Remain Park’s Unlikely Center,” New York Times, February 2, 1997.

  21 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, “Brooklyn—Port Authority Marine Terminal—Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition—New Lease,” board minutes, August 28, 1997.

  22 Greg Brooks, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, September 18, 2014.

  23 Franklin Stone, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, September 11, 2014.

  24 Brooks, interview.

  25 Brooklyn Bridge Park, Inc., “Eileen’s Legacy,” memorandum, April 3, 1997.

  26 Anthony Manheim to Frank McNally, March 6, 1987.

  27 Martin Connor, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, April 24, 2015.

  28 Gary VanderPutten, interview by David Shirley, April 30, 2014.

  29 Amy Waldman, “Neighborhood Report: Brooklyn Waterfront; One Park, Many Squabbles,” New York Times, January 25, 1998.

  30 Ken Fisher, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, August 25, 2014.

  31 Baker, interview.

  32 VanderPutten, interview.

  33 Baker, interview.

  34 Praedium Group, Economic Viability Study: Piers Sector, Brooklyn Bridge Park (New York: Praedium Group, February 1997), 3.

  35 Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition, “Gala ‘Coming of Age’ Benefit,” March 29, 1997.

  36 Baker, interview.

  37 Ibid.

  38 VanderPutten, interview.

  39 Ibid.

  40 Ibid.

  41 Ibid.

  SIX. CHANGING OF THE GUARD

  1 Tensie Whelan, interview by David Shirley, February 25, 2014.

  2 Fred Bland, interview by David Shirley, May 1, 2014.

  3 Irene Janner, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, August 26, 2014.

  4 Bland, interview.

  5 Whelan, interview.

  6 Tom Fox, interview by David Shirley, February 27, 2014.

  7 Bland, interview.

  8 Henrik Krogius, “Waterfront Park: Getting Acts Together,” Brooklyn Heights Press & Cobble Hill News, January 21, 1999.

  9 Henrik Krogius, “Heights Association Questions LDC’s Progress on Piers, Praises Manheim,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, February 1999.

  10 Gary VanderPutten, interview by David Shirley, April 30, 2014.

  11 Ibid.

  12 Whelan, interview.

  13 Ibid.

  14 Ibid.

  15 VanderPutten, interview.

  16 Ibid.

  17 Marianna Koval, interview by David Shirley, February 25, 2014.

  18 VanderPutten, interview.

  19 Koval, interview.

  20 Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy [Coalition], Waterfront Watch 1, no. 1 (1999).

  21 Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Waterfront Watch 1, no. 2 (1999).

  22 Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Waterfront Watch 1, no. 3 (1999).

  23 Ibid.

  24 Tensie Whelan and John Watts, “Letter: Walentas’ Plan ‘Inappropriate,’ ” Brooklyn Heights Press & Cobble Hill News, June 17, 1999.

&nbs
p; 25 VanderPutten, interview.

  26 Dennis Holt, “Fisher, Millman Join Opposition to DUMBO Plan,” Brooklyn Heights Press & Cobble Hill News, June 3, 1999.

  27 Quoted in Julian E. Barnes, “Neighborhood Report: Brooklyn Waterfront; Dueling over Dumbo: Commerce vs. Parks,” New York Times, April 11, 1999.

  28 Quoted in Thomas J. Lueck, “Unveiling a Bold Vision for Brooklyn’s Waterfront,” New York Times, May 24, 1999.

  29 Tensie Whelan, “In Brooklyn, a Stunning Design That’s All Wrong” [editorial], New York Times, May 31, 1999.

  30 VanderPutten, interview.

  31 Joshua Laird, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, October 17, 2014.

  32 Quoted in “Park Coalition Names Albert Butzel President; Changes Raise Question of Co-work with LDC,” Brooklyn Heights Press & Cobble Hill News, October 13, 1999.

  33 Koval, interview.

  34 Albert Butzel, interview by David Shirley, September 12, 2014.

  35 Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition, “13 Guiding Principles to Govern Redevelopment on the Downtown Brooklyn Waterfront,” June 29, 1992.

  36 Joanne Witty, interview by David Shirley, October 1, 2014.

  37 Ibid.

  38 Quoted in “New Coalition Director Looks to Widen Piers Park Support,” Brooklyn Heights Press & Cobble Hill News, October 20, 1999.

  39 Koval, interview.

  40 “New Coalition Director.”

  41 Witty, interview.

  42 Franklin Stone, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, September 11, 2014.

  43 Josh Sirefman, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, September 30, 2014.

  44 Witty, interview.

  45 Ibid.

  46 Dick Dadey, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, September 11, 2014.

  47 Matt Urbanski, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, October 15, 2014.

  48 Michael Van Valkenburgh, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, October 15, 2014.

  49 Candace Damon, interview by David Shirley and Nancy Webster, April 17, 2015.

  50 Ibid.

  51 Dadey, interview.

  52 Witty, interview.

  SEVEN. TEARING DOWN THE BARBED WIRE

  1 Mark Baker, interview by David Shirley, February 26, 2014.

  2 Marianna Koval, interview by David Shirley, February 25, 2014.

  3 Quoted in Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Waterfront Matters 2, no. 1 (2000): 1.

  4 Marianna Koval, “Soapbox; An Opportunity to Seize,” New York Times, July 2, 2000.

 

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