Perhaps evil is a strong word but it does make for a nice turn of phrase.
There has long been consistent, strong and reasoned opposition to building condos in the park. Park space is scarce enough as it is, it's a tenuous financing scheme, it amounts to a quasi-privatization of parkland. It also happens that the park will flood during a storm surge, as was made abundant clear by Hurricane Sandy.
The Bloomberg administration has remained stubbornly wedded to the idea of a self-financing park. The recent storm experience gives the Mayor an opportunity to rethink his position, and I hope he takes it.
And if we just can't shake the concept of a self-financing park, a version of the re-zoning finance plan offered up by Senator Squadron could make it work, without shoehorning condos into parkland.
* The case of One Brooklyn Bridge Park is an exception. Leaving a solidly constructed existing structure actually makes economic sense.
Typos courtesy of my iPhone
No comments:
Post a Comment