August 16, 2007

Pier 40 Partnership

Pier 40 Partnership is comprised of community, business, and civic leaders who live in downtown Manhattan. We are very concerned about the future of Pier 40, the largest and most expandable available space for active recreation in our part of town. The group formed after a public hearing on May 3rd, 2007, attended by 2000 people who share our concerns, to help explore alternative approaches to those proposed thus far for repairing and improving the pier and enhancing and expanding its uses.

Our group believes the two proposals submitted in response to the Pier 40 RFP are sub-optimal for the Hudson River Park Trust and the city, and detrimental to the park and nearby communities. So we have offered to fund an analysis, in the form of a land use feasibility study, to find an approach to redevelopment of the pier that will create new open space for active recreation as well as enjoyment of the waterfront while also generating more revenue to the Trust than the current proposals.

Pier 40 Partnership also plans to raise significant private funds for building out a plan that meets the needs of the Trust and the city and the wishes of our community. To that end, we have already obtained initial pledges of $10 million.