Coalition's Proposal for a Public Park in the Proposed Riverside Center
The Extell/Carlyle Group is asking the City Planning Commission to approve a 35% increase in zoning (3.1 million sq. ft. for development) well above the approximately 2.4 million sq. ft. that remains under the development rights in the 1992 Restrictive Declaration. The site, now called Riverside Center, is on the southern end of Riverside South (W. 59th - W. 61st St.)
Extell's proposal (see CLW's Nov. 2008 newsletter on livablenewyork.org) includes 5 towers, ranging in height from 623 feet to 400+ feet and a privately owned open space plaza which is approximately 28% of the site. That amount of open space sounds impressive until you realize that is not truly public space and is not a park, merely scattered green places. Coalition hired a noted architect, Craig Whitaker, to analyze the Extell private open space and create a truly Public Park on the site. His drawing and recommendations are below.
All the new streets are "mapped" and built by the developer before the buildings are constructed.
A two-acre Public Park is built by the developer. That allows the community to enjoy the park before the project's 2018 expected completion.
The developer turns over title to the park to the Parks Department.
The park is maintained through contributions from units surrounding exactly like Riverside South Park.
The buildings surrounding the park would look more like New York and less like "towers in the park."
Click on the PDF or PPS to see Mr. Whitaker's Proposal
For more information on "Battery Park City" Redux also known as the Extell/Carlyle Group's Riverside Center's 3.1 milllion square feet of development (West 59th Street - West 61st Street), go to to the Community Board 7 website: http://nyc.gov/html/mancb7/html/announcements/announcements.shtml for more information.
2010/07/20 15:25
All the new streets are "mapped" and built by the developer before the buildings are constructed. 
A two-acre Public Park is built by the developer. That allows the community to enjoy the park before the project's 2018 expected completion. 
The developer turns over title to the park to the Parks Department. 
The park is maintained through contributions from units surrounding exactly like Riverside South Park. 
The buildings surrounding the park would look more like New York and less like "towers in the park."