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South Street Initiative Newsletter
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
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Dear Friend of the South Street Initiative:
 
I announce, with great pleasure and optimism, that the Board of Directors of the South Street East River Community Development Corporation (SSER-CDC) held their first board meeting on January 21, 2016.
 
The following Interim Officers were elected until April 21, 2016 when the board convenes again to elect permanent officers:
  • Aixa Torres, President – Alfred E. Smith Residents Association                  
  • Victor J. Papa, Treasurer – President, Two Bridges Neighborhood Council
  • Joanne Gorman Coyle, Secretary – Friends of South Street Seaport
We are proud to have elected Interim Officers that are long-time residents and advocates for quality-of-life improvements and economic development opportunities as they relate to the Lower Manhattan East River Waterfront.

The other members of the SSER-CDC's initial Board of Directors also provide valuable guidance and vision at this current stage. They are listed below:
  • Simeon Bankoff, Historic Districts Council
  • Anthony Borelli, Edison Properties LLC
  • Tanya Castro, Lands End II
  • Nicole Clare, Two Bridgeset Associates, LLP
  • Mark Handelman, Hamilton-Madison House
  • Paul Kefer, Southbridge Towers, Inc.
  • Tara Kelly, Municipal Arts Society
  • Roland Lewis, Waterfront Alliance
  • Nancy Ortiz, Bernard A. Vladeck Houses
The CDC is now at a crucial stage in its development as it seeks to carry out its stated mission. In the next few months it will discuss resiliency planning issues and opportunities, a Pier 35 Festival in 2017, and other measures to make itself effective in assuring a vibrant East River waterfront corridor.
 
The many committed stakeholders from the Lower East Side and Lower Manhattan communities can take credit for creating the CDC. The South Street Stakeholders Initiative, an important forum to channel and weigh issues that the CDC will consider, will continue to meet. Stay tuned for meeting invitations and updates in the coming weeks.  
 
If you have any questions regarding updates from the SSER-CDC or would like to get involved in these critical stages, please reply directly to this newsletter.

Sincerely,

Victor Papa
 
Thank you for your support and advocacy!
As was suggested by our local elected officials, the South Street Initiative circulated a letter of support, asking stakeholders from within and beyond the group to sign on.  We thank all those who contributed to make the reasons loud and clear for why equitable development of the Lower Manhattan East River waterfront, and its surrounding uplands, is necessary for the many diverse, adjacent neighborhoods.  The letter was mailed to Mayor de Blasio and other elected officials yesterday, concluding a months-long outreach process that started in the summer, and was ended only because of urgency.

However, the need for support and advocacy extends beyond this letter.  We urge stakeholders to continue sending letters to elected officials and agency commissioners, speaking at community board meetings and other public forums, and finding innovative, alternative solutions for your community as you have all been so ably doing.  If you would like to show support for the South Street Initiative's vision and mission as stated in the letter of support, please contact the South Street East River Community Development Corporation at SSERCDC@gmail.com.

Read the letter of support on Scribd:

SSI Letter of Support 2-22-2016

News and Updates
Feb 22nd - Design contest leaders seek disaster minded urban planners (Politico NY)

Feb 19th - Two Bridges Leaders Press For Community Role in Rutgers Slip Pavilion (The Lo-Down)

Feb 18th - Officials ask to lower East River Ferry ticket prices when new routes launch (NY Daily News)

Feb 16th - Waters surrounding New York City contain at least 165 million plastic particles making its way into the food supply (NY Daily News)

Feb 12th - Hunter Roberts Construction Hired for Long-Delayed Pier 35 Project (The Lo-Down)

Feb 5th - Why New Orleans's Back-to-Nature Experiment in Flood Control May Revitalize a Neighborhood (Curbed)

Feb 3rd - Citywide ferry service is chance to innovate-if we don't undercut it (Crain's New York)

Feb 1st - New York City Flood Defense Plan Advances Slowly (Claims Journal)

Jan 31st - Tourist helicopter flights in NYC to be reduced (AM New York)

Jan 28th - Drop in the Bucket: New fed funds won't pay tab for Downtown flood protection projects (Downtown Express)

Jan 27th - New York City Flood Defense Plan Advances But Completion Years Off (ABC7 NY)

Jan 26th - Community Development Corp. Created for East River Waterfront (The Lo-Down)

Jan 23rd - Seaport Developer Considered Hotel At New Market Site (Curbed New York)

Jan 22nd - Essential Waterfront Guidelines Stuck in Albany (Waterfront Alliance)

Statement From Mayor Bill de Blasio Applauding $176 Million Award for Lower Manhattan Floor (Mayor's Office)

Jan 21st - HUD Awards $1 Billion Through National Disaster resilience Competition (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)

Jan 20th - Residents Still Have Concerns About East River (The Lo-Down)

Jan 19th - Pier 42 Park Construction Delayed Until 2017 (The Lo-Down)

Jan 14th - Massive East River storm barrier will also be a cool new park (TimeOut)
Mission of the South Street Initiative:  South Street Initiative (SSI) is a member-based coalition comprised of residents, property owners and other stakeholders from the many neighborhoods connected along the Lower Manhattan East River Waterfront.  Since its inception in 2014, SSI has conceived a wider vision for the waterfront and now advocates for the transformation of the area into a vibrant space that bridges diverse neighboring communities and offers opportunities for recreational, social, educational and cultural engagement for New Yorkers and visitors alike. To achieve this vision, the coalition advances the creation of an autonomous stewardship entity that will sponsor a comprehensive and feasible master plan for equitable infrastructural and economic development of the Lower Manhattan East River Waterfront area. 
Copyright © 2016 Two Bridges Neighborhood Council, All rights reserved.


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