Diller Island Is Dead Your Own Concert Hall by George Capsis Mer Head of Paramount, Barry Diller, Per- Haps in a Moment of Terminal Pique, to Say, at 7:00 A.M
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The Voice of the West Village WestView News VOLUME 13, NUMBER 10 OCTOBER 2017 $1.00 Diller Island is Dead Your Own Concert Hall By George Capsis mer head of Paramount, Barry Diller, per- haps in a moment of terminal pique, to say, At 7:00 a.m. on September 22nd, I “The hell with it, I’m out of here!” came out of the shower to a ringing This came as a surprise to everybody in- phone and stood, still dripping, as West- cluding the members of The City Club’s View contributor Barbara Chacour an- President, attorney Michael Gruen, and nounced with exhilaration, “Diller Island former head of the Hudson River Park is Dead.” These were the very words Trust (HRPT), Tom Fox, who were hours printed on the front page of the New York away from presenting a compromise. They Times article by Charles V. Bagli who, I were going to let the island proceed if suspect, went to P.S. 41 with my kids. Diller and/or the HRPT would recreate Wow, Diller Island Dead. You can go a beach shoreline at Pier 79 (Gansevoort through a lifetime without a victory like Street) and restore a pier for historic ships. this but it was not my victory or WestView’s What motivated 73-year-old Durst to “MY ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT”: Father Santiago Rubio has given his “enthusiastic sup- port” to opening the doors of St. Veronica’s and turning it into a concert hall. Success depends on the attendance at the Saturday, November 25th and Christmas concerts. Photo triptych by Joel Gordon. By George Capsis 149 Christopher Street on Saturday, No- vember 25th at 7:30 p.m. With your atten- You, and only you, reading these words, dance, you will be letting Cardinal Timo- can have and give to others a 120-year-old thy Dolan know that you want MUSIC marble-clad Gothic hall in which to hear AT ST. VERONICA’S. the great music of the past and allow others Father Santiago Rubio has graciously of- to hear it for the next century or more… fered his enthusiastic endorsement and has You can do that by attending the first opened the very recently locked church doors. concert at the Church of St. Veronica at Continued on page 7 THE BITTER TASTE OF VICTORY: As The City Club of New York dropped its opposition, the grown children of Diane von Furstenberg chorused resentment at spending $250 million for Rally Demands— a resisted project. It is reported that Diller has already spent $50 million. Composite render- ing by Joel Gordon. Pier 55 rendering courtesy of The City Club of New York. No Beth Israel Shutdown victory. It was that of realtor Douglas Durst write a blank check to Gruen to keep fil- By Arthur Z. Schwartz The fight to keep Beth Israel open took a who paid the City Club of New York’s at- ing actions to stop Diller even though it major step forward on September 24th. torney hundreds of thousands of dollars in seemed that Diller would inevitably get Over 100 neighbors gathered outside the legal fees, in action after action, to block the approval? hospital to demand that it cease shutting the start of construction and convince the The companion to billionaire Michael down, that services be restored, and that courts, among other things, that the 2.7- Bloomberg, Diane Taylor, who continues, nothing more be done without a thorough acre undulating, concrete “island” on gross, inexplicably, to serve as the Czarina of the government review of the potential conse- enormous, bulbous, mushroom-shaped HRPT, along with HRPT operating head quences of a shut down of the last major piles some seven stories high “was not an Madelyn Wils, got ALL of the politicians hospital south of 30th Street in Manhattan. appropriate water-related use.” (Schumer, de Blasio, and even Cuomo) to The rally, called by the Community Coali- Indeed, these legal delays stopped the say, “Sure, Diller Island is good and this tion to Save Beth Israel, which was organized U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from grant- handful of City Club old men who are by the Progressive Action of Lower Manhat- ing a permit to build, which contributed to trying to stop it are past their prime and tan (PALM), heard from Lower Manhattan the startling decision by 75-year-old for- Continued on page 5 Photo by Arthur Z. Schwartz. Continued on page 11 Our Lady of Guadalupe Hummingbirds Spooky Join Father Santiago This month, avian expert Rubio for lectures, Keith Michael explores Check out all of the free songs, and prayer, the beauty, speed, and Halloween events coming up, at the upcoming endurance of the elusive including the Village Hallow- Congress on October hummingbird. (Page 19) een Parade. (Page 34) Also 14th. (Page 18) read about its fascinating creator, Ralph Lee. (Page 26) 2 WestView News October 2017 www.westviewnews.org WestView WestViews Published by WestView, Inc. by and for the residents of the West Village. Correspondence, Commentary, Corrections Publisher St. Veronica’s for Healing ing over much of the water area. ter area primarily for conservation of the Executive Editor Many are primarily concerned with pos- marine environment and protection of George Capsis Hi George, sible damage to the natural environment fish and other marine flora and fauna, and Managing Editor St. Veronica’s is a spectacular space with heal- and its non-human inhabitants, potential related research and education, and only Andreea Ioana Pantor ing qualities. Apart from using it for concerts, impact on traffic, and the abandonment of secondarily for the pleasure of humans. Associate Editor I feel that it could be a great space to use for space (Pier 54) intended for docking visit- As a result, the Corps did not sufficiently Andrew Buemi AA meetings, PTSD healing groups, etc. ing historic vessels. evaluate the pros and cons of, and alter- Advertising Manager & Designer Something to explore. We raised an important issue of access natives to, the project under the Federal Stephanie Phelan — Christina Winholt Raccuia to the island and won significant conces- Clean Water Act (CWA). The Court went sions in that regard. The Hudson River Park so far as to express doubt that the project, Photo Editor Darielle Smolian Offensive Language Trust’s almost total relinquishment of con- as planned, could meet the standards of trol over the price of tickets to events would the CWA. The Trust and Mr. Diller did Traffic Manager Dear Mr. Capsis, have made it possible to charge rates many not appeal. So the decision stands as an Liza Whiting I was greatly taken aback and offended members of the public could not afford. We important precedent that the Trust will Photographer to read the copy accompanying Maggie also noted that the project was not entirely have to seriously consider in connection Maggie Berkvist Berkvist’s photo on page 29 of the Septem- a gift. It would have cost the Trust over $35 with all future water area projects. ber issue. The caption includes incorrect in- million. The Trust would have received $1 A few days after the Diller Island col- Comptroller Jolanta Meckauskaite formation (there is no bamboo pole evident) a year in rent. And after 30 years, the Trust lapse, the Whitney Museum announced a and the offensive wording “Alien Skills” is would have acquired an island that all in- desire to build a very large (but minimally Architecture Editor a stunning example of racism. There is no volved believe would never turn a profit. visible) sculpture at the Gansevoort Pen- Brian Pape basis to identify the woman in the photo as However, we recognized that much of insula. Contrary to the doomsday vision Film, Media and Music Editor an alien simply because she is Asian. this concerns taste and personal interests, of some editorialists, the Whitney dem- Jim Fouratt In a newspaper that claims to be “The and decided to focus on compliance with onstrated that the Diller Island failure will Voice of The West Village,” this language the law, especially legal procedures such as not put a damper on other major projects Food Editor David Porat is both inappropriate and offensive and in environmental laws and requirements and gifts. The Whitney effectively stated shows a surprising lack of sensitivity. Your for competitive bidding that ensure public the real lesson of the Diller Island experi- Distribution Manager editorial staff has done Maggie B. a dis- participation and careful consideration of ence by assuring that it, unlike the Trust Timothy Jambeck service with its photo caption. alternatives. in regard to Diller Island, will act openly, Regular Contributors —Gammy Miller While that was an uphill battle in the involve the public, and comply with ap- Barry Benepe, Caroline Benveniste, Dear Ms. Miller, State courts, where the case began, we won plicable law. Those were the major points Charles Caruso, Jim Fouratt, We thank you for your note and apologize for an extremely important victory in the Fed- we raised in our litigation. John Gilman, Mark. M. Green, Robert what was actually an editorial mistake involv- eral District Court which voided a permit We believe that there are many issues of Heide, Thomas Lamia, Keith Michael, Michael D. Minichiello, Clive Morrick, ing auto-correct. We meant to write “Asian” granted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- mutual interest to the City Club and The Brian J. Pape, Joy Pape, David Porat, in place of “Alien” but even that wording now neers. The Corps had failed to recognize Trust with regard to resurrecting Pier 54 Alec Pruchnicki, Christina Raccuia, seems insensitive.