Mayor Bloomberg has laid out his own vision for reinvigorating Downtown around the World Trade Center site, with “exciting new neighborhoods” and parks, a revitalized East River waterfront, a tree-lined boulevard along Water Street, and new schools and cultural centers.

		The mayor announced his plans to great fanfare in December. But not until last month, when Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff presented the administration’s vision to Community Board 1, did residents have a chance to respond. The audience praised the overall plan (details at www.lowermanhattan.info), but some residents raised concerns. Several cited the need for more open space and parks, which they said was a priority for Downtowners, especially those on the east side. “There’s not a lot of green space” in the plan, said CB1 member Linda Roche, who lives in the Southbridge Towers complex. “There needs to be space where a kid can throw a ball, play frisbee, fly a kite,” said Catherine McVay Hughes, another board member, who lives on Broadway one block from the Trade Center site. “On the east side now, there’s only Liberty Plaza, which is just cracked concrete.”
Doctoroff maintained that the plan included a good deal of new open space, including “vest-pocket parks,” the East River waterfront project and a park over the entrance to the Battery Tunnel. “Open space is one of the key things we can do to create the environment we all want in Lower Manhattan,” he said. “Nothing is more important than providing the kind of open space that will attract families Downtown. We’re committed to that.” Regarding the administration’s desire for development along the East River, CB1’s Roche said that “putting apartment buildings on the waterfront on the east side would be awful for residents,” blocking river views and aggravating congestion. Doctoroff responded that while the administration was committed to revitalizing the riverfront, “We’re not advocating housing no-matter-what on the waterfront.” Albert Capsouto, who with his two brothers owns Capsouto Frères, a restaurant in Tribeca, expressed concern that the one million square feet of retail space planned for the WTC site might draw customers away from existing Downtown businesses. But Doctoroff said the administration hoped to invigorate street life all around Downtown. “One of our top priorities for the Lower Manhattan of the future is ensuring that there’s life on the streets,” he said. When the new transit center comes to Broadway and Fulton Street, for example, new retail space will be built not just inside the complex, but “will radiate onto surrounding streets.” He added that the administration was studying ways to invigorate Downtown’s retail sector. Anthony Notaro, a Battery Park City resident and CB1 member, criticized the proliferation of unsightly Jersey barriers on Downtown streets and sidewalks intended to enhance building security and block off streets. “These barriers are popping up on new blocks every day,” he said. “It’s becoming a walled community.” Doctoroff acknowledged that the barriers and other street-level security measures “are plaguing Lower Manhattan,” a sentiment echoed by Pataki in his speech, and said the city was seeking better solutions. “The whole issue of security versus the environment is very complicated,” he said. “We must provide security to institutions that are thought to be at greater risk. That said, can we do a better job beautifying them and making them more attractive? Yes. I think we did a good job at City Hall.”