The local paper for Downtown wn
WEEK OF MARCH
NASTY WOMEN AT THE MET
16-22
P. 13 >
2017
PRESERVATIONISTS GO TO COURT OVER HISTORIC MARKET DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT Save Gansevoort argues that buildings approved for redevelopment are “unique and iconic” BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
More than eight months after a redevelopment of several buildings in the Gansevoort Market Historic District was
approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, a group of preservationists got their day in court to oppose the decision. Save Gansevoort, which was represented by attorney Michael Hiller, filed a lawsuit in October that was heard before Hon. Joan A. Lobis in state Supreme Court last Wednesday, March 8. Hiller defended his argument that, if the approved commercial buildings are constructed on
the south side of Gansevoort Street between Ninth Avenue and Washington Street, the neighborhood would “cease to be a market district.” Save Gansevoort has been fighting Aurora Capital Associates and William Gottlieb Real Estate since the proposal to redesign an entire block at 46-74 Gansevoort Street first came to light in 2015. Zack Winestine, a co-organizer of the group, called the four build-
ings “unique and iconic,” citing their long, low-lying structures as exemplary of the district. In front of a few dozen supporters last week, Hiller presented his case that the Landmarks Preservation Commission had violated a section of landmarks law by designating one of the buildings involved in the project as having “no style” and thus no histori-
Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers remarks at SEIU rally. Photo courtesy of the Governor’s Office, via flickr
WHAT THE GOP HEALTH CARE BILL COULD MEAN FOR NEW YORKERS
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
POLICY Who stands to win and lose under the American Health Care Act? BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
As Republicans in Washington, D.C. work to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with their proposed alternative, the American Health Care Act, New York policymakers are working to understand how the bill will impact the state’s health insurance market if it becomes law. According to analysis from the New York Department of Health, over one million New Yorkers would face a “significant loss of health care” under the Republican plan. The department also found that the plan would shift $2.4 billion in costs to hospitals and state and local governments each year, beginning in 2020, and $4.2 billion over the next four years. Nationwide, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 24 million by 2026, but would cut federal deficits by $336 billion over the same period. “In the end, people who will still have insurance will fall into two groups under this plan: older Americans and low-
Rendering of a block of the Gansevoort Market Historic District approved by Landmarks Preservation Commission in June 2015. Photo courtesy of BKSK Architects
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Downtowner
OurTownDowntown
O OTDOWNTOWN.COM @OTDowntown
Crime Watch Voices Out & About City Arts
3 8 10 12
Restaurant Ratings Business Real Estate 15 Minutes
14 16 17 21
WEEK OF APRIL
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
9-16
MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
n OurTownDowntow
COM
Newscheck Crime Watch Voices
for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
2 City Arts 3 Top 5 8 Real Estate 10 15 Minutes
12 13 14 18
CONTINUED ON PAGE
25
We deliver! Get Our Town Downtowner sent directly to your mailbox for $49 per year. Go to OTDowntown.com or call 212-868-0190