Water Tunnel site on East 4th St. next to The Merchants House was on the Parks & Waterfront Committee agenda this month.
There was, however, little new information on the Water Tunnel site on East 4th St, except that NYC Parks now has renewed interest and confirmation of a budget of $250,000 supplied by Councilmember Chin several years ago. To put this in perspective, however, Jackson Sq. Park (triangle at Greenwich Ave,8th Ave and Horatio St. ) renovation budget is $800,000 and upkeep and maintenance will be the responsibility of a neighborhood-based organization. CB#2 Parks Chair, Richard Caccappolo promised to bring this topic back for more discussion with both DEP and Parks present, for a more meaningful and documentable discussion.
As reported by Pete Davies in 2010, “…questions remain as to who will pay for and maintain any publicly accessed open space. According to the paperwork [PDF] approved by City Planning, for each site, “DEP will provide financial assistance in the form of a contribution of at least $400,000 to the “Percent for Art” Program, which is administered by the Department of Cultural Affairs.” While work continues the locals are hoping that some interim uses can be allowed on parts of the sites. DEP, while non-committal, agreed to think it over. “
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