What's up with the NYC East River Park?

[ZoWie]

The East River Park is next to the FDR drive, an important highway, on the shore of Manhattan's Lower East Side. Most of the residents rent, or live in projects, or both. Many are BIPOC. It's their park, and it's all they have, but of course they lack even the limited clout that property owners would have.

Due to climate change, the area is now prone to flooding, and this will get worse. The city needs to construct some kind of flood control. The project they chose destroys the park. I'm not up on all the issues, but I do know that a Temporary Restraining Order was in place to stop work on the project until more discussion took place. This order seems to have been violated, though that's for the lawyers to figure out.

A couple of days ago, the park started to disappear, and now it looks more like an EF-5 tornado went through.

https://eastriverparkaction.org/

I don't know enough of the details to have a strong opinion, but I am viscerally repelled by the destruction scene that replaced a working, useful, necessary urban space for the people. It doesn't have to be like this. Evidence is that corporate balance sheets might have trumped, pun intended, sensible urban planning, or at least that's my opinion. You wouldn't have had a scene like this in Sutton Place, Yorkville, or the green space by the mayor's Gracie Mansion. (NY rich folks parts of the river.)

[ap215]

Yeah it's been a back & forth battle with The East River Park issue they sued because the city violated TRO here's the latest.

East River Park Construction Resumes After City Claims Victory in Lawsuit

You can expect work to resume at East River Park in the coming week, where crews are continuing to demolish familiar features of the 82-year-old recreational space. New York’s Court of Appeals dismissed on Thursday a legal challenge that had thrown the future of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project into question.

In a three-line ruling, the court dismissed the appeal from the local group, East River Action, and also denied a motion to hold the city in contempt for continuing demolition while a temporary restraining order was in effect.

https://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2021 ... wsuit.html

More gentrification.

[ZoWie]

Thanks for the update. Manhattan does seem to have gentrification issues. How very Los Angeles of it.

[ZoWie]

Soil known to be dangerously polluted is being dug up and not dealt with properly, according to these guys. Not only did the city go ahead despite a court order, but it is also not exercising due diligence.

https://twitter.com/LesBreathe