The local paper for Downtown wn FANCY FEET ◄ P.12
WEEK OF MAY
3-9 2018
COUNCIL MULLS CAP ON SIGHTSEEING BUSES TRAFFIC Tour coaches could be subject of additional city oversight, including GPS tracking BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
nificance within the Hudson River ecosystem. Work on the project is expected to commence this summer. The renovated 2.5-acre pier, located on the Hudson River between North Moore and Hubert Streets, will feature playing fields, a wooded area planted with indigenous trees, seating areas and lawns. At the end of the 790-foot long pier, an elevated river promenade will rise above a tidal wetland area descending toward the river, to be planted with marsh flora and used
While London’s two-tiered buses are an iconic part of its transit system, in Manhattan the double-decker bus has long held a different association in the public consciousness. To New Yorkers, “double-decker” is synonymous with the ubiquitous sightseeing coaches that ferry tourists to points of interest throughout the borough, and which are a source of aggravation to many residents who live near well-traveled routes and complain of resulting congestion, pollution and noise. The City Council is considering a package of bills that would bring the industry under additional scrutiny and place a limit on the total number of tour buses permitted on city streets. “We need to strike a balance to accommodate our city’s vital tourism industry while still addressing the concerns that our residents experience,” said Council Member Margaret Chin, whose downtown council district is a hub of sightseeing bus activity and the city’s booming tourist economy, which welcomed a record 62.8 million visitors last year. Legislation sponsored by Chin and Borough President Gale Brewer would cap the number of sightseeing buses
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Pier 26 will be the site of a multi-purpose park including playing fields, seating areas and educational features scheduled to open in the fall of 2020. Rendering: Olin Studios
NEW GLIMPSE AT PIER 26 PLANS OPEN SPACES Work to begin this summer on multi-use riverfront park BY MICHAEL GAROFALO
The long-awaited makeover of Tribeca’s Pier 26 will offer striking views of the Lower Manhattan skyline, but its designers are hoping to direct visitors’ attention closer to water level, with recreational, leisure and educational design features aimed at highlighting the site’s sig-
The City Council is considering legislation that would limit the number of sightseeing buses permitted on city streets at 225 — there are currently 197 buses licensed by the city. Photo: Michael Garofalo
We need to strike a balance to accommodate our city’s vital tourism industry while still addressing the concerns that our residents experience.” Council Member Margaret Chin
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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
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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
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