WEINER OFFERS PLAN TO RENEW GOVERNORS ISLAND
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A WORLD CLASS VENUE FOR
SPECIAL EVENTS, CULTURAL OFFERINGS, AND RESEARCH
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PLEDGES TO HAVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN PLACE
WITHIN FIRST 100 DAYS OF MAYORALTY
New York City – A day before the latest round of development proposals for Governors Island are due, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens & Brooklyn) outlined his vision to transform the island into a world class venue for special events, cultural and educational happenings, research and tourism. Weiner pledged to “shake off the torpor” surrounding the island’s development, and to have a real development plan in place within the first 100 days of his mayoralty.
Governors Island is a few short minutes from Manhattan via a quick and inexpensive ferry trip. But with its acres of open, empty fields and its dilapidated buildings, it’s hardly caught the imagination of many New Yorkers.
It could be a very different place.
But the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation’s (GIPEC) redevelopment plans have been stalled for the past 2 and ½ years, plagued by sliding deadlines and staff defections. GIPEC is chaired by Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff.
Tomorrow, the latest deadline for development suggestions comes due—having already slid back from the fall of 2004. Today, Rep. Weiner unveiled his own plan:
WEINER’S PLAN TO RENEW GOVERNORS ISLAND:
Special Events, Concerts and Festivals -- Governors Island is 172 acres of mostly open meadows and fields. With the new proposed restrictions on the use of Sheep’s Meadow, the large open spaces in the central and southern portions of the Island would be ideal locations to host mid to large scale concerts and festivals. Some of the areas would have to undergo mild landscaping to make them suitable for these purposes.
Art Exhibits and Educational Offerings – The “historic district” of Governors Island is 92 acres of old Victorian homes and tree lined streets, Fort Jay, Castle Williams and a variety of brick military buildings. If renovated, these land marked structures offer a ready forum for New York City school children to learn about historic New York. What’s more, they could easily house thematically appropriate art exhibits, or play host to lectures, educational conferences and meetings.
A Think Tank and Conference Center – Liggett Hall is a 440,000 square foot facility that was one of the largest military structures ever build on U.S. soil, prior to construction of the Pentagon. Appropriately renovated, it could provide an historic home to a think tank and conference center, devoted principally to addressing the evolving challenges of New York City.
A Biotech Campus and DNA Lab – As has been suggested by Senator Charles Schumer, Governors Island is well situated to support a new biotech center for New York City. The dilapidated Coast Guard barracks on the eastern portion of the Island could be razed to clear space, and a scientific research facility could be established in coordination with educational facilities in all five boroughs. A new state of the art DNA lab could be included in the new biotech campus to cut times in processing crime scene DNA.
A Hotel for Travelers from Near and Far – The southernmost tip affords perhaps the most stunning views of anywhere on Governors Island: the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, 360 degrees of the harbor. Currently the home of more Coast Guard barracks, they could be razed to build a hotel to host tourists coming from afar to attend events, or locals wanting to get away for the weekend without having to travel far from home.
Weiner pledged to have a full development plan for Governors Island in place during his first 100 days in office.
“I see a Governors Island where families go to find a year-round celebration of the best of New York,” said Rep. Weiner. “A new public square for New York City, where ideas and debate, arts and educational offerings, concerts and festivals intermingle with science, technological advance, and our historic past. Only a few minutes from Manhattan, it could be a getaway spot for families to immerse themselves in the great cultural gifts of New York and the world. But it won’t happen without real leadership. We have to shake off the torpor surrounding the development process, and return the island to its rightful place as one of the crown jewels of New York City. Let’s join together to get it done.”
For 200 years, Governors Island was the property of the federal government, and played home to, first, an army fort, then a coast guard base.
But in 2003, the federal government sold the island to New York State for $1. Today, the National Park Service controls 22 acres on the island; a corporation under the authority of the Governor and Mayor—the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC)—controls the rest.
For the past 2 and ½ years, GIPEC has made sporadic attempts to develop the island, but to date, little progress has been made. In March, GIPEC issued a “Request for Expressions of Interest” (REI) in developing the island—a time consuming preliminary step before issuing a “Request for Proposals”. The deadline for REI’s is tomorrow.
