Opinion: 'We're Here to Defend Historic Seaport'
An Open Letter to L. Jay Cross, President of Howard Hughes Corp.
Dear Jay,
What were you thinking? We asked this question of HHC VP Saul Scherl, when we first heard that HHC had bought 250 Water Street.
At CB1’s Environmental Committee February meeting, we heard a presentation by consultant, Lawra Dodge, who described the concentrations of elemental mercury and lead, contaminated groundwater, storage tanks, etc. that lie just below the asphalt awaiting remediation. She estimated that one million cubic feet of clean and dirty soil would need to be removed. As you are aware, the South Street Seaport Historic District is composed of water-lots containing unregulated fill from the 18th and 19th centuries deposited to create usable land above the water table. Today schools, landmarked low-scale buildings, and a large residential complex are mere footsteps away
Why do we care? Lower Manhattan is already a “built” environment. Langan engineers must fit a complex remediation plan in a highly constrained footprint with sensitive nearby receptors. HHC structural engineers will be tasked with shoring-up nearby 19th Century foundations.
How can we help? Our Seaport Coalition members have attended your workshops, testified to government bodies, spoken to our elected representatives and to the media offering reasonable alternatives to your plans at this site. Have you heard us? No. We have previously indicated that we will support anything that you choose to build within the existing zoning height limits.
Who will throw you a lifeline? Not the Historic Preservationists, not the parents of school kids, and not your neighbors. Not the lawyers and lobbyists and public relations people who are on your dole. Creating a plan to protect Lower Manhattan from Climate Change is more important to us and to the economy of the city than monetizing a dubious claim to air rights for the benefit of your shareholders. Keeping the Historic District “historic” should be of obvious benefit to you as a tourist destination attraction for your “Seaport District.” We all want the Museum to survive, and we have a plan. Perhaps there is a higher and greater “public purpose” use for this site than what is currently planned?
Howard Hughes once said: “Every man has his price, or a guy like me couldn’t exist.” But he also said: Men become wise just as they become rich, more by what they save than by what they receive.” We are here to defend the South Street Seaport Historic District.
Sincerely,
The Seaport Coalition