Critical Hearing on Hudson River Park Air Rights on June 6

In 2013 the State Legislature allowed up to 1.5 million sq ft of air rights from the Hudson River Park to be moved one block inland, vastly increasing development potential on our waterfront blocks.

With all the out-of-scale developments being proposed in the West Village right now, did you know that it could actually get worse? In 2013 the New York State Legislature changed the law to allow “air rights” from the Hudson River Park to be transferred one block inland, increasing the allowable size of development up and down our waterfront and anywhere between 59th and Chambers Streets. This set off a ticking time-bomb in our neighborhood whereby as much as a million and a half sq ft or more of “air rights” could be moved in, vastly increasing overdevelopment possibilities.

But we CAN stop it. The City is proposing to sell about 200,000 sq ft of the park’s approximately 1.5 million sq ft of air rights from Pier 40 to the St. John’s Terminal site across West Street, to fund $100 million in repairs for that Pier and its playfields.  We can and must demand that there be NO FURTHER AIR RIGHTS TRANSFERS FROM THE HUDSON RIVER PARK IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. If we can do that, we can protect our neighborhood from countless more potential massive developments and numerous future battles.

HOW TO HELP:

• Come to the Community Board #2 public hearing on Hudson River Park air rights transfers next Monday, June 6 at 6:30 pm at the Fire Museum, 278 Spring Street (Varick/Hudson Streets), 3rd floor.  Sign up to speak.  Tell the Community Board they must demand NO FUTURE AIR RIGHTS TRANSFERS FROM HUDSON RIVER PARK.