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  #81  
Old Posted Apr 26, 2010, 3:08 PM
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http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/t...ch1UOkF9DqaUXN

Thirst thing's first on dry Governors Island



H 2 WOE: The city is launching a $4.5 million project to route drinking water to Governors Island.



By RICH CALDER
April 26, 2010

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There's water, water everywhere you look out from scenic Governors Island -- just not a drop to drink when you get there.

And that's a drought the Bloomberg administration hopes to end soon, since it wants to turn the former military base into a world-class tourist destination.

Officials overseeing the 172-acre, long-dormant jewel in New York Harbor say they're planning to launch a $4.5 million project they hope will provide the island with its own drinkable-water system.

The goal, they said, is to reline and restore a water main, running under the Buttermilk Channel from Brooklyn, that hasn't been used since the 1950s. A yet-to-be-chosen infrastructure contractor would use divers for the job.


Robert Pirani, executive director of the civic group Governors Island Alliance, said the project was crucial to the island's realizing its full potential and praised the mayor for stepping up.

"Like any other part of the city, you should be able to get free drinking water on Governors Island," he said.

The city has agreed to take full control of the island from the state, making its redevelopment a potential legacy project for Mayor Bloomberg, along with others, like the revival of Coney Island.

The mayor wants to bring a waterfront park to Governors Island, restore historic structures on the north end and eventually attract commercial tenants, including restaurants, which obviously need pure water for cooking.

In the meantime, the island later this year will get its first-full time tenant since the US Coast Guard left in 1997 when New York Harbor School in Brooklyn relocates there. Students will have their drinking water ferried in by a potable bulk water service.


Bottled water is already ferried over for island workers, and tourists during the popular summer season are told to bring their own or fork over a buck or two to island vendors to buy some.

A sign near a water fountain at Battery Marine Terminal in Lower Manhattan tells visitors it's "the last opportunity for free drinking water" before hopping on the Governors Island ferry.

The island's functioning water main now runs through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and previously provided potable water for Coast Guard personnel.

The military operated its own island water-filtration system, but the water was eventually deemed unsafe to drink by the state and city after both jointly bought the island from the feds for $1 in 2003. Water running to the island through the tunnel pipeline, although not drinkable, is still used for island restrooms and emergency services.


If the water main under Buttermilk Channel can't be fixed, the city would then have to consider building a new one.

Geoffrey Croft, of the nonprofit New York City Park Advocates, said the city shouldn't go forward with its $200 million island park plan without a potable water system.

"What's a park without water fountains?" Croft asked.
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  #82  
Old Posted Jun 24, 2010, 3:28 PM
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http://www.observer.com/2010/politic...-goes-official

Governors Island Transfer Official

By Eliot Brown
June 23, 2010

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A bit more than two months after the Bloomberg administration and the state agreed to transfer Governors Island to the control of the city, the move is official.

Today the board that oversees the island, which was jointly owned by the state and city, voted to transfer it, a final step, with another coming tomorrow when the board of the Empire State Development Corporation is expected to rubber stamp the move.

Thus ends another chapter of the (apparently) failed experiment of joint city/state development of new parkland. While one of these structures—Hudson River Park—is still intact, without tremendous catastrophe (it's mostly built-out, but lacks a long-term funding source, or any realistic idea of how to get one), there seems to be a consensus that things are easier with one body in control (Brooklyn Bridge Park is also being transferred to the city).
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  #83  
Old Posted Jun 25, 2010, 5:08 AM
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Governor’s Island’s Castle Williams To Open to Visitors After Renovation
200-Year-Old Fort Was Last Occupied in 1996


06-23-2010

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The National Park Service (NPS) has awarded a $3.4 million contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to USA Environmental Management, Inc., based in Philadelphia.

The company will abate hazardous materials, remove health and safety hazards, and repair structural deficiencies to Castle Williams, a 200-year old circular fortification that once served as a prison for Confederate soldiers and is now a part of Governors Island National Monument. The project will enable the NPS to open part of the castle’s interior to the public as well as allow for access to the top of the fort.

“Castle Williams was built to last and has withstood nearly 200 years of harsh maritime weather conditions, and needs a lot of repairs since it was last occupied in 1996, when the U.S. Coast Guard left,” said Patti Reilly, superintendent of Governors Island National Monument. “Just in time for the 200th anniversary of the castle, park visitors will be able to both enjoy the sweeping views of New York Harbor and come to understand the significance of Governors Island in the nation’s history.”
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  #84  
Old Posted Aug 10, 2010, 3:25 PM
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http://www.observer.com/2010/politic...moon-%E2%80%A6

We Can Put a Man on the Moon …

By Eliot Brown
August 3, 2010

Quote:
Douglas Durst had a plan for Governors Island.

The veteran commercial landlord, whose eponymous firm built the Bank of America Tower, wanted to adorn a piece of the flat ice-cream-cone-shaped spit off the tip of Lower Manhattan with a behemoth Ferris wheel, one akin to the London Eye that would give tourists and riders an unfettered and unrivaled panoramic city view. It was, according to multiple people familiar with the plans, to be an investment of upward of $100 million, and private investments are something the island has noticeably been without.

But before the plan could even see the light of day, it was, effectively, shelved for at least the next few years. This was due not to rejection of the concept - not to say everyone loved the idea - but due to the way in which the city in July grasped control of the island from the state.

In a legal and political twist, when the Bloomberg administration took over - a move that was made in an attempt to speed up development - it put in what could prove to be significant new barriers to any sort of quick development on the 172-acre, onetime Coast Guard base. Now, the island must go through the city's seven-month rezoning process, which in turn must follow the creation of a giant environmental impact statement, which, for large projects, can take multiple years to create. In the meantime, no permanent commercial development can be permitted-no long-term retail; no boutique hotels; and, certainly, no Ferris wheels. (A spokesman for the Durst Organization declined to comment.)

The irony in all of this is that in jettisoning the state, with all its ever-frustrating bureaucracy and constant fiscal quandaries, the city lost the one entity that also had the ability to override the zoning. The city's process, until complete, is filled with uncertainty—and uncertainty is a developer's kryptonite. A state override, by contrast, gives developers far more confidence about the end result (this is in large part because there is less public input), allowing them more chances to ready plans and line up financing during public review. And long periods of uncertainty on an island that is still seeking a place in the minds of most New Yorkers, of course, would seem to present another obstacle to its eventual development.
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  #85  
Old Posted Aug 10, 2010, 3:40 PM
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oh God not another ferris wheel proposal....
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  #86  
Old Posted Sep 6, 2010, 11:42 PM
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oh God not another ferris wheel proposal....
could be worse...or mabey it couldnt be worse. regardless we cant let this happen
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  #87  
Old Posted Sep 6, 2010, 11:48 PM
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could be worse...or mabey it couldnt be worse. regardless we cant let this happen
everyones gonna kill me for saying this but just imagine a skyscraper in the middle of the island that is surrounded by a new modern lowrise neighborhood,filled with shopping, restaurants,parks and entertainment!

something along these lines would be nice


http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...c-new-mine.jpg
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Buildings Over 200 Meters 62 Completed 20 Under Construction 50 Proposed 0 On Hold
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  #88  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2010, 12:16 AM
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everyones gonna kill me for saying this but just imagine a skyscraper in the middle of the island that is surrounded by a new modern lowrise neighborhood,filled with shopping, restaurants,parks and entertainment!

something along these lines would be nice


http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...c-new-mine.jpg
wouldnt mind it personally. but i think there is law againstskyscrapers on there
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  #89  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2010, 2:35 AM
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wouldnt mind it personally. but i think there is law againstskyscrapers on there
ehhhh a lil bit of cash can change that
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  #90  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2010, 3:57 AM
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ehhhh a lil bit of cash can change that
You'd need a bridge, or more importantly landfill, to connect Governor's island to Brooklyn or Manhattan. Who's gonna want take a ferry to work every morning, or more importantly who is going to live there, who is going to get a hotel there? Frankly its just inconvenient.

What you could do is an observation/radio tower, that could work.
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  #91  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2010, 4:19 AM
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You'd need a bridge, or more importantly landfill, to connect Governor's island to Brooklyn or Manhattan. Who's gonna want take a ferry to work every morning, or more importantly who is going to live there, who is going to get a hotel there? Frankly its just inconvenient.

What you could do is an observation/radio tower, that could work.
An aerial tram would work just fine
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  #92  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2010, 4:25 AM
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An aerial tram would work just fine
Calatrava proposed this


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  #93  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2010, 3:52 PM
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You'd need a bridge, or more importantly landfill, to connect Governor's island to Brooklyn or Manhattan. Who's gonna want take a ferry to work every morning, or more importantly who is going to live there, who is going to get a hotel there? Frankly its just inconvenient.

What you could do is an observation/radio tower, that could work.
Hundreds or thousands of people ferry to work and school everyday for a little place called Staten Island to Manhattan. The matter of fact is that it will never happen because its going to be a park.
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  #94  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2010, 4:02 PM
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Hundreds or thousands of people ferry to work and school everyday for a little place called Staten Island to Manhattan. The matter of fact is that it will never happen because its going to be a park.
Part of it will be a park, or not an official park (they say its not a park). But other areas are left to private development, which could be a number of things, except residential or casinos. The MTVA wanted to build its 2,000 ft broadcast tower there, but Bloomberg almost chocked on a bagel when he heard about that.

The grey, shaded areas in this image are for private development...

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  #95  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2010, 4:40 PM
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Part of it will be a park, or not an official park (they say its not a park). But other areas are left to private development, which could be a number of things, except residential or casinos. The MTVA wanted to build its 2,000 ft broadcast tower there, but Bloomberg almost chocked on a bagel when he heard about that.

The grey, shaded areas in this image are for private development...

I had no idea but there isn't exactly a lot of room or maybe there is. I don't know. You tell good Bloomberg joke.
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  #96  
Old Posted Sep 9, 2010, 3:44 PM
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http://dnainfo.com/20100908/downtown...vernors-island

New York Harbor School Opens New Home on Governors Island
The school's 400 students will now study on Governors Island year-round.



Ashley Charles, a senior, held the Harbor School's flag up high as she led the way to the new building.


September 8, 2010
By Julie Shapiro

Quote:
Students at the New York Harbor School shrieked with excitement Wednesday morning as they poured off the ferry that took them to their school’s new home on Governors Island.

"It’s so amazing to be here," said a grinning Ashley Charles, a senior from Crown Heights, after she hoisted the Harbor School’s blue and white flag onto a pole outside the new building.

"It was a dream of mine to have our own little world on an island. And now we have it, and it’s like: Wow."

Founded in 2003, the New York Harbor School previously shared space with other schools in a crowded building in Bushwick. Although the Harbor School’s curriculum focuses on maritime sciences, and students learn how to sail and row, not to mention swim, the high schoolers previously had to take a field trip just to see the harbor.

Now, the 400 students, who mostly come from low-income families in Brooklyn, will be surrounded by water all day long, from their daily ferry trips to their classrooms perched in the center of the harbor.

The Harbor School is located on Governors Island's north side in Building 550, which first opened in 1938 as an army barracks and recently underwent $34 million of renovations. The school is part of the Urban Assembly program and receives both public and private funds.

"It’s awesome cuz it’s the only school that’s on an island," said Julio Soto, a senior from Bushwick.

While Soto’s commute just got about an hour longer — he lives across the street from the high school’s previous location — Soto said the beautiful building and spacious hallways are well worth the trip.

On Wednesday morning, students and staff wearing navy Harbor School T-shirts gathered on the lawn near the new school building for a first-day ceremony.

Students cheered as Principal Nathan Dudley spoke of turning the Harbor School into one of the best schools in the city and the country. Although over 80 percent of the students start the school below grade level, 74 percent graduated in 2008, and of the graduates, 95 percent were accepted to secondary schools.

Dudley said the Harbor School's move marks a first step in Governors Island’s long-term development.

"You are making history," Dudley told the students. "We are the first, and the island is going to grow."

Before the students dispersed to start their first class of the day, the seniors lined up facing each other, with a path down the middle, and all the other classes walked through. The seniors applauded the freshmen and greeted the sophomores and juniors with handshakes and hugs.

Amy Mahon, a sophomore from Queens, said she felt almost like a freshman again, learning her way around a new place.

"This is a totally different experience," she said. "This year is going to be crazy — expect a lot from us."

Students at the New York Harbor School arrived on Governors Island for opening day.


Building 550, which now houses the Harbor School, was built as an army barracks in 1938.


The students greeted each other as they headed toward their new building for the first day of school.


Harbor School students applauded Principal Nathan Dudley at the opening ceremony.


Students received a copy of their schedule Wednesday morning at the Battery Maritime Building and then waited to board the ferry.


Students crowded onto the 9 a.m. ferry and used the 10-minute ride to catch up with friends and finish eating breakfast.


The school is a five-minute walk from the ferry landing, through Governors Island's landscape of trees and historic buildings.


Principal Nathan Dudley, with the clipboard, instructed students exiting the ferry to gather with the rest of their class.
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  #97  
Old Posted Sep 9, 2010, 4:12 PM
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Part of it will be a park, or not an official park (they say its not a park). But other areas are left to private development, which could be a number of things, except residential or casinos.
Wait... it can be anything BUT residential or casinos? Why would you want to exclude two of the most in-demand land uses from the island? NY has an obvious housing shortage. I imagine housing a short ferry ride away from Downtown would be in high demand. People have shown that they'll put up with an astonishing amount of inconvenience to be in/close to NY.

A bridge across Buttermilk Channel would be nice, but you could also make do with a car ferry to the foot of Atlantic Avenue for the residents and visitors.

The only other land use that might work here are working-waterfront industrial businesses, but they can't be ones that handle cargo because, after all, it's an island with nowhere for the cargo to go. So we're looking at ship repair, police/fire docks, etc.
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  #98  
Old Posted Sep 9, 2010, 4:26 PM
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Wait... it can be anything BUT residential or casinos? Why would you want to exclude two of the most in-demand land uses from the island?
It was simply part of the deal when the city got the island back from the federal government. Residential housing can be built if its part of a school, for example. But private, residential development is not allowed. Given the limited sites on the island where any type of development can go, it actually makes more sense not to put housing there.
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  #99  
Old Posted Sep 9, 2010, 11:12 PM
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hmm... i think it'd be a great idea to allow residential developments. something along the lines of downtown beirut, just with different architectural styles of course. and no buildings taller than 5 or 6 floors.

it'd be an awesome place for outdoors coffee shops and restaurants. storefronts would look amazing. and keeping the buildings close to each other instead of one large building will give it more on an european feel to it.

of course in reality people will demand parking (maybe underground near the ferry terminal), they'll want late night ferry runs, and i imagine there would be opposition from many people.
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  #100  
Old Posted Sep 10, 2010, 1:31 PM
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hmm... i think it'd be a great idea to allow residential developments. something along the lines of downtown beirut, just with different architectural styles of course. and no buildings taller than 5 or 6 floors.

it'd be an awesome place for outdoors coffee shops and restaurants. storefronts would look amazing. and keeping the buildings close to each other instead of one large building will give it more on an european feel to it.
All would be great ideas, if the island were a blank slate. The historical district (the northern half) of the island won't be touched, of course. And most of what's left on the southern end will be the park that they're saying isn't really a park. If not for that, and rules forbidding residential developments, then the city probably would look to expand its housing supply there. It's not like it hasn't been done before in the city...
http://rooseveltislander.blogspot.com/
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