We're finally getting down to the real development on the island, that will open the door to the island being open year round like the rest of the city.
http://www.downtownexpress.com/2018/...-to-pay-bills/
Pay to play: Governors Island Trust wants to develop park to pay bills
September 12, 2018
BY COLIN MIXSON
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The city wants to transform Governors Island into an education, research, and hospitality hub, and is seeking Council permission to lease out more than 30-acres of seaside property in a bid to pay the island park’s increasingly pricey operating fees, according to the isle’s head honcho.
“Our goal is to be financially self-sufficient,” said Michael Samuelian, president of the Trust for Governors Island.
The Trust for Governors Island — a non-profit organization steered largely by Mayor de Blasio appointees — has worked to transform the 172-acre former U.S. Coast Guard base into an idyllic playland for New Yorkers since the city takeover in 2010, and the trust presided over the opening of more than 30 acres of parkland and public spaces in 2014, in addition to a series of highly vaunted, landscaped hills rising more than 70 feet above sea level in 2016.
But the snazzy island greenspace doesn’t pay for itself, and taxpayers are currently paying the lion’s share of a $20-million budget that only accounts for a 6-month season, which the trust hopes to expand into a year-round operation that will see costs likely double, according to Samuelian.
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In an effort to relieve tax payers — as well as entertain them — the trust is pursuing a scheme to redevelop some 4.5 million square feet of land along the island’s southern coast, while working within the confines of a federal deed restriction that prevents the construction of purely residential buildings, such as condominiums.
Instead, the island’s stewards envision a scholarly application for its relatively virgin coast, and is preparing to begin the public review process for a rezoning that would permit the construction of research and lab spaces, and academic institutions complimented by dorm rooms and faculty housing, which are permitted under the residential deed restrictions.
The trust — which controls 150 acres of the island — is also pursuing a secondary use for the development space for use as hotels, a conference center, and privately operated recreation facilities, which in the area surrounding Yankee Piers could rise up to 300 feet tall.
The upcoming redevelopment push follows a 2013 rezoning that will allow the reuse of 1.35 million square feet of 50 existing historic buildings located on the north-side of the island, all or most of which will be rented out by the trust for office and classroom use, or housing for students.
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The trust is currently gearing up to compile an environmental impact statement in advance of a public review process expected to begin in March next year. Representatives will be meeting with members of Community Board 1 on Sept. 13, and hosting a public scoping hearing at the Battery Maritime Building on Sept. 26, where locals will have an opportunity to testify and voice any concerns they have about the project.
If all goes according to plan, City Council will vote on the rezoning before the end of 2019, and, if approved, the trust will begin issuing requests for proposals in 2020.
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https://archpaper.com/2018/08/govern...land-rezoning/
New York plans massive mixed-use development for Governors Island
By SYDNEY FRANKLIN
August 30, 2018
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Crain’s New York reported that City Hall will hold a public hearing next month on its plans to rezone the island’s former military base to make way for a proposed 4.5 million-square-foot, mixed-used development. Mayor de Blasio’s office posted a notice last week about the hearing, which will be the first step in an environmental review process for the project.
Aiming to attract a combination of tech and life-science firms, educational institutions, dormitories, as well as a convention center and hotel, the city wants to build out the development as a way to enhance exposure for Governors Island. The 172-acre landmass currently functions as a leisurely getaway for urbanites to enjoy during the summer. Though city-owned, it’s managed and maintained by the Trust for Governors Island. The new development, which would be constructed on the south side of the island, would help annually fund the costs of the island’s 43-acre park.
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With this proposal, it seems the city wants to piggyback off the success of Roosevelt Island’s Cornell Tech campus and bring those small island–big money vibes south of Manhattan. Plus, space for ground-up construction in New York is limited and Governors Island remains one of the more barren sites in town.
Any new facilities part of the proposal would be built on two plots of land currently zoned for residential development. The problem is that residential construction has long been prohibited on Governors Island, which is why the city wants to first rezone the land before bringing businesses on board. After an extensive public review process beginning with next month’s meeting, City Council is expected to vote on the proposal in fall 2019. If passed, the rezoning would allow low-rise commercial structures to be built on the site as well as proposed dorms and hotel properties that could potentially rise as high as 300 feet.
Crain’s also noted that the city has already commissioned a second ferry to take construction workers out to the site. But that won’t be enough to transport future commuters to and from the development, even in combination with an expanded East River Ferry service. That’s why the Economic Development Corporation is in talks to put a gondola between Lower Manhattan and Governors Island, further mimicking the layout of Roosevelt Island, which is reachable via a gondola and the F train.
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The mixed-use development planned for Governors Island is reminiscent of the education and innovation hub found at Roosevelt Island’s Cornell Tech campus. (Iwan Baan)
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“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.
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