Court Says Work Can Proceed at Barry Diller’s Futuristic Offshore Park
At the end of last month, an appellate court issued an injunction that said work must temporarily stop at Barry Diller’s Pier 55 until at least September when opponents of the futuristic offshore park (who claimed it had gone through inadequate environmental impact evaluations) could present their case again. But The Real Deal reports today that work has resumed much sooner than expected, as an appeals court lifted the stop work order yesterday.
The contention began last summer when a civic group known as the City Club of New York brought forth a lawsuit asserting that Diller and the Hudson River Park Trust had failed to thoroughly evaluate the environmental impact of the 2.7-acre park, claiming that it would wipeout local species such as the American eel and shortnose sturgeon. They also argued that the public space would be used for “non-park purposes like ticketed concerts, but as 6sqft pointed out, both Central Park and Prospect Park hold ticketed events, and in the case of Pier 55, half of the events will be free or low-cost.
A spokesperson for the project said, “Now that both state and federal courts have denied its demand for an injunction, the City Club should take this cue to finally end its absurd crusade against the wishes of the community.” The hearing is still set for September.
[Via TRD]
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