Extell Development Corporation is pulling out all the stops in its effort to generate some mega-profits in these tough times. These profits hinge on getting permission from the City to violate the deal for the land they inherited when they bought it.
In addition to having a mercenary army of suits who attend community meetings, they decided some time ago that having a Pritzker Prize-winning celebrity architect design their monster project would distract people from noticing that it:
- Lacks schools for all the new families
- Has no true public space
- Violates past and current guidelines for density
- Detracts from the nearly-landmarked IRT Powerhouse next door.
Noticing that people weren't immediately demonstrating in favor of the project (to put it mildly), Extell decided to have their celebrity come to town and give a talk. Here is the report on the talk in The Architect's Newspaper. As the article says,"Portzamparc’s plan is already facing skepticism from locals, and not only because it is 800,000 square feet larger than previously allowed." However, the article is amazingly pro-Extell, quoting a CB 7 member who sounds favorable to the project, even while CB 7 as a group has gone on record with serious objections, in a letter to Amanda Burden, the head of the City Planning Commission dated January 14, 2009.
The meeting also got some attention in Curbed. The comments on the article are worth scanning. Here are a couple highlights from frequent commenters:
"The NIMBYs actually seem to get it right for once. Bravo to them. Portzamparc's towers in the (portzam?)park are DOA. They'll be litter-strewn, awkward barrenlands half of the year, just like the Frederick Douglass Houses they seem to be inspired by. I hope Extell/Christian pay attention to the NIMBYs this once."
"The Christian de Portzamparc plan is abominable, but the alternative ideas need more thought. ... But God forbid that Extell builds its proposed plan. That's the worst of the lot."
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