The Voice of the West Village WestView News VOLUME 15, NUMBER 6 JUNE 2019 $1.00 Stop Privatization of Pier 40, Says CB2 By Bruce Trigg, MD visible around Pier 40, nor anywhere else in the West Village. This is not the way to re- A new generation of Robert Moses-style ceive public input and discussion. power brokers plan to privatize the last ma- The explanation offered for why this jor public space in Lower Manhattan—if we amendment is needed is that state legisla- let them. That’s right, they will push for last tion passed in 1998 required that Hudson minute legislation in Albany to amend the River Park be operated and maintained by Hudson River Park Act to permit the build- revenue generated within the Park. What a ing of 700,000 square feet of commercial of- strange law. Since when does a public park fice space on Pier 40. And that’s only the have to generate it’s own money? What the most modest of the plans being proposed! heck do we pay taxes for? Whatever sense At a sparsely attended neighborhood this may have made 1998, it is no longer ra- THE WEST VILLAGE HAS BEEN THEIR CAMPUS. Some of the 2300 New School graduates express exhilaration at their June graduation. Many have lived in the new Kerrey Hall (part of hearing the day after Memorial Day the tional, nor necessary. The west side has been the University Center at Fifth Avenue and 14th Street, a LEED-certified residence) building draft legislation (unsigned!) was presented built up over the past 21 years and property which has dorm rooms for 800 students. Photo courtesy of The New School. to the audience by a panel of elected of- tax revenues have greatly expanded. Besides, ficials. Assemblymember Deborah Glick, if the city and state could find $3 billion to State Senators Brad Hoylman and Brian give to the richest man in the world ( Bezos A School for Creative Innovators Kavanagh and Manhattan Borough Presi- and Amazon) and $6 billion to subsidize dent Gale Brewer heard the public testi- the Hudson River Yards development, then Our encounter with The New School began ars and citizens interested in questioning mony. Congressmember Jerrold Nadler and surely they can come up with the funds with an invitation to a reception at the and debating the most important issues of City Council President Corey Johnson were necessary to run Hudson River Park. How residence of the University President, David the day. Since then, the university has con- not present. So, why so little apparent inter- much can it cost to run the park? Van Zandt. A bronchial illness prevented me tinually reinvented itself to be at the frontier est from the community? Perhaps its propo- A number of those who spoke at the com- from attending so I wrote out my questions which he graciously responded too. of higher learning. Today, my commitment nents wish to avoid public and media scru- munity meeting were obviously connected to —George Capsis to the university’s mission is stronger than tiny. The only publicity for the event seemed the real estate developers, hedge fund owners, continued on page 4 to be articles in two local newspapers. I Wall St. bankers and lawyers who control the Q: What was President Van Zandt’s didn’t see a single announcement about the Hudson River Park Trust authority (HRPT) image of The New School when he first meeting in Hudson River Park, nothing was continued on page 19 took the job? When I first arrived at The New School, I strongly believed that the world today The New School—A Galaxy of Great Names needs creative problem solvers who want What follows is a chapter entitled "1955— elapsed since we were embattled that to harness their talents and scholarship to The Village Finds Its Voice," from the government of, by and for the people make the world a better place. I knew soon to be released book "A Drama in might not perish. The outlook today is that The New School was positioned better Time," by John Reed. The stories in this often discouraging. And it may never than any other university to provide its stu- historical look at The New School are turn on battle. Yet we face a loss of free- dents with a different kind of education – written in present tense to capture the dom just as dire, perhaps more serious. restlessness and vibrancy of the legacy. one that emphasizes effective citizenship in The way to win it back is the way we lost a world that is changing dramatically. In her opening remarks at The New it—through ourselves.” School’s 1952 commencement, university Commencement speaker Supreme Q: How has that image changed? Vice President Clara Mayer speaks to a Court Justice William O. Douglas urges A century ago, The New School’s found- decade of inexorable change: graduates toward global thinking, “to ers set out to create a new kind of academic THE NEW SCHOOL'S PRESIDENT, David Van “Less than a hundred years have continued on page 4 institution that would bring together schol- Zandt, above. PRIDE Events Local Bookstores The Art of the Celebrating 50 years The pleasure of browsing Waltz Concert of PRIDE since the a brick and mortar bookstore Stonewall riots. is alive and well in our beloved WestView concerts continue neighborhood. at St. John’s in the Village Thursday, June 27 at 7:30 pm SEE PAGE 34 SEE PAGE 11 2 WestView News June 2019 www.westviewnews.org WestView WestViews Published by WestView, Inc. by and for the residents of the West Village. Correspondence, Commentary, Corrections Publisher Open Letter to ing public from one convenient location to ets continue to board buses. This problem Executive Editor another or is it to move the buses from one is throughout the bus and subway system. George Capsis Corey Johnson to Save the location to another as quickly as possible? When prices are reasonable that problem Managing Editor 14A Bus Line Route If the latter, you could just require paying may change. Art Director Kim Plosia Dear Corey, passengers to mount the buses at the be- You may find buses traveling faster if I Sort of ironic that my earlier Open Letter ginning stop and dismount at the last stop. take the M11 to West 14th St. and transfer Advertising Manager and Designer Stephanie Phelan to you from WestView News was to plead Is that what the riding public is paying for? to the M14 A or D and then transfer to the for more bus shelters for riders waiting for As we all know the Manhattan popula- subway at 6th Ave. However it will cost Traffic Manager Liza Whiting the 14A—and now we’ve learned there’s a tion is aging and more people use buses be- twice as much as the present M14A trans- plan to do away with our vital little spur cause they can no longer navigate the stairs fer to the 6th Ave. subway. Photo Editor altogether—to replace it, apparently, with to and from the subway system. Elevators Regarding the Lower East Side: Drop- Darielle Smolian one that runs way out on the fringe of the and escalators are not available at all stops. ping stops from 2 blocks to 4 blocks is un- Photographers And some elevators and escalators remain kind. I used to visit a friend in a nursing Maggie Berkvist in need of repair. home on the east side and it was a trip for Joel Gordon I came to live in the West Village in July me on the M14A. With this removal of Associate Editors of 1968 and used to walk and run every- stops it would mean fewer visits to those Gwen Hoffnagle, Justin Matthews, where. Now, being in my late 80s, having shut in. Anne Olshansky, Carol Yost COPD and difficulty walking, I’m not Is the MTA's purpose to serve the pub- Comptroller appreciative of the cuts in the M14A bus lic or make speed records? Jolanta Meckauskaite service. I was told it was to make service —Robert W. Smith Architecture Editor faster. The MTA recently removed the Brian Pape M14A and D stop at 14th St. and 5th Ave. Litigation Over 14th Street Film, Media and Music Editor requiring me to walk a block back from Changes and SBS Bus Jim Fouratt University Place to the Amalgamted Bank Changes Coming Soon territory it needs to serve. at 5th Ave. In this instance the bus service Food Editor David Porat A further irony—only last month (May) has made my trip longer and slower. As WestView goes to press, two lawsuits are the Times had a long piece about the rising Under your proposal to remove the about to be filed by my office addressed to Distribution Manager proportion of seniors in the population, just as Abingdon Sq. Loop the MTA suggests the efforts of DOT Commissioner Polly Timothy Jambeck the MTA wants to cut back its vital bus ser- people take the M11, 12 or 20 to 14th St. Trottenberg to needlessly reshape our Regular Contributors vice to that very group—in a neighborhood and change buses. For persons with wheel- community. At first, she used the proposed J. Taylor Basker, Barry Benepe, that is a particularly noticeable example! chairs, walkers and canes this will mean L Train shutdown as an excuse. Now she Caroline Benveniste, Charles Caruso, I guess they’re not aware that once we holding up both the northbound bus and wants to champion “fast bus service on the Jim Fouratt, John Gilman, Mark.