Wow.
From “A Walk in the Park” Blog (Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates):
“Clearly there are a lot of very good public goods being planned for this site – no change in the playground size, three news schools, permanent affordable housing, but that comes at the cost of a building that is 724 feet tall. You may call it 68 stories but in linear terms that’s 72 tall. That’s almost as tall as the Time Warner Center,” –
City Planning Commissioner Anna Hayes Levin, May 10, 2017
“How does that kind of height make sense at this location?”
Marx Brothers Playground site – 96th Street and Second Avenue. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is finally moving out of the playground after “temporarily” occupying 0.5 acres of the 1.5 acre park since 2007. … The MTA is legally required to restore the playground.
The New York State legislature voted overwhelmingly to give Marx Brothers Playground to a private developer.
The Senate Voted 61 – 1 to support the $ 1 billion dollar proposed development being pushed by City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
New York State Assembly Vote 117 – 25 in favor.
The law creates zoning rights needed to develop the massive project.
The Educational Construction Fund (ECF) came up with a scheme to dramatical increase the size currently allowed. The massive tower would cast shadows as far as Central Park according to project documents.”…
“…This would set a very bad precedent, one that could open the floodgates and, at a minimum allow the development of not only every single one of the approximately 250 Parks Department Jointly Operated Parks properties it shares with the DOE throughout the city, but ALL parks could be subjected to development if this proposed legislation is passed.
Literally NO Public land would be safe.”
A Walk in the Park is a blog dedicated to Parks and their preservation.
Marks Brothers Playground