Rendering by Moore
The hearing was open for comment on the four concepts the NPS has laid out. There were supporters for the ambitious harbor-wide role favored by the Park Service, and for middling roles limited to the Island itself, but the two-hour session was dominated by advocates of the New Globe Theater in Castle Williams. There were relatively few statements by opponents.
Michael Reynolds, deputy director of the northeast region of the Park Service, presided. Regional headquarters in Philadelphia will make the final call on which concept to pursue. "My role is to sit here and listen and take notes," Reynolds said. Maria Burks, commissioner of the National Parks of the New York Harbor, was sitting and listening, too. The hearing took place in Federal Hall on Wall St. in the evening on March 10.
Linda Neal, superintendent of the Governors Island National
Monument, opened the proceedings with a brief description of the four
concepts, all of which focus on the historic significance of the two
forts and none of which allow for a theater.
First to testify was Peg Breen, president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy. She spoke in support of the NPS's preferred alternative D, "emphasizing Castle Williams as not only the iconic symbol of Governors Island but also as the heart of the system of Harbor Parks." As for the New Globe: "Imagine turning Hamilton Grange [Alexander Hamilton's home in upper Manhattan] over to a bed-and-breakfast, or offering Cipriani a long-term catering lease here in Federal Hall. We must not diminish the Monument."
Barbara Romer led a procession of some two dozen enthusiasts for the New Globe, of which she is the founder and tireless promoter. She asserted that her project would "restore Castle Williams to its 1811 glory and create a 3,000 square foot museum to interpret the fort's role in the defense of the harbor and the nation."
It would provide "a self-sustaining revenue source for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the fort, attract a much wider audience for the National Parks of New York Harbor and, not least, recast the fort [originally built to fight off a possible British attempt to retake America] as an international icon of friendship" Ms. Romer presented a petition signed by a collection of major and minor notables, including President Jimmy Carter, Walter Cronkite, David Rockefeller, Woody Allen, Judi Dench, George Soros, Paul Volcker and dozens more. Representative Jerold Nadler, whose Manhattan district includes the Island, submitted a supporting statement of his own. Many in the lineup of supporting speakers read statements from all over the country to demonstrate nationwide support.
Frank Sanchez, executive vice president of the Municipal Art Society, was the only representative of a major civic organization voicing support in person. "We are perplexed as to why the National Park Service is so resistant to exploring the idea," he said. "It embodies the type of creative thinking that America is proud of."
Leslie Koch, president of GIPEC, endorsed the NPS's preferred alternative, "which promises to create a unique harbor destination and a great public amenity." She avoided mentioning the New Globe. GIPEC's comment on the General Management Plan was submitted in a February 28 letter that said, "the most important first step for the National Park Service should be the early reopening of Castle Williams to the public." It expressed concern that the necessary $5-million funding for this work is not in the park service's five-year plan.
Kenneth Fisher, chairman of the Alliance, spoke to immediate needs. "The park service needs to move forward - now," he said, to make the National Monument "safe, accessible and attractive." He gave "highest priority" to addressing the asbestos and lead paint problems in the two forts, and opening one of the circular stairways to the roof of Castle Williams to let people take in the "spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline." The Alliance finds two of the alternatives "the most appealing" - alternative C focused on the Island, and the more expansive D. He explained that the Alliance takes no stand on the New Globe, because some of its 50-plus member organizations are for it and some are opposed.
Among other speakers, Alexander Brash, Northeast Regional Director of the National Parks Conservation Association said, "we sadly note" the lack of progress in the seven years since the National Monument was established. He opposed the New Globe on grounds that, like Fort Sumter, the Island's two forts offer "an appreciation of sacrifice and honor... for generations of Americans."
Several speakers came from the Governors Island Brats, made up of Army and Coast Guard personnel and their families who had been stationed on the Island. Each spoke fondly of their time on the Island, and some urged the NPS to expand the Monument to include the South Battery fort on Buttermilk Channel. Their choices among the development alternatives were scattered.
First to testify was Peg Breen, president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy. She spoke in support of the NPS's preferred alternative D, "emphasizing Castle Williams as not only the iconic symbol of Governors Island but also as the heart of the system of Harbor Parks." As for the New Globe: "Imagine turning Hamilton Grange [Alexander Hamilton's home in upper Manhattan] over to a bed-and-breakfast, or offering Cipriani a long-term catering lease here in Federal Hall. We must not diminish the Monument."
Barbara Romer led a procession of some two dozen enthusiasts for the New Globe, of which she is the founder and tireless promoter. She asserted that her project would "restore Castle Williams to its 1811 glory and create a 3,000 square foot museum to interpret the fort's role in the defense of the harbor and the nation."
It would provide "a self-sustaining revenue source for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the fort, attract a much wider audience for the National Parks of New York Harbor and, not least, recast the fort [originally built to fight off a possible British attempt to retake America] as an international icon of friendship" Ms. Romer presented a petition signed by a collection of major and minor notables, including President Jimmy Carter, Walter Cronkite, David Rockefeller, Woody Allen, Judi Dench, George Soros, Paul Volcker and dozens more. Representative Jerold Nadler, whose Manhattan district includes the Island, submitted a supporting statement of his own. Many in the lineup of supporting speakers read statements from all over the country to demonstrate nationwide support.
Frank Sanchez, executive vice president of the Municipal Art Society, was the only representative of a major civic organization voicing support in person. "We are perplexed as to why the National Park Service is so resistant to exploring the idea," he said. "It embodies the type of creative thinking that America is proud of."
Leslie Koch, president of GIPEC, endorsed the NPS's preferred alternative, "which promises to create a unique harbor destination and a great public amenity." She avoided mentioning the New Globe. GIPEC's comment on the General Management Plan was submitted in a February 28 letter that said, "the most important first step for the National Park Service should be the early reopening of Castle Williams to the public." It expressed concern that the necessary $5-million funding for this work is not in the park service's five-year plan.
Kenneth Fisher, chairman of the Alliance, spoke to immediate needs. "The park service needs to move forward - now," he said, to make the National Monument "safe, accessible and attractive." He gave "highest priority" to addressing the asbestos and lead paint problems in the two forts, and opening one of the circular stairways to the roof of Castle Williams to let people take in the "spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline." The Alliance finds two of the alternatives "the most appealing" - alternative C focused on the Island, and the more expansive D. He explained that the Alliance takes no stand on the New Globe, because some of its 50-plus member organizations are for it and some are opposed.
Among other speakers, Alexander Brash, Northeast Regional Director of the National Parks Conservation Association said, "we sadly note" the lack of progress in the seven years since the National Monument was established. He opposed the New Globe on grounds that, like Fort Sumter, the Island's two forts offer "an appreciation of sacrifice and honor... for generations of Americans."
Several speakers came from the Governors Island Brats, made up of Army and Coast Guard personnel and their families who had been stationed on the Island. Each spoke fondly of their time on the Island, and some urged the NPS to expand the Monument to include the South Battery fort on Buttermilk Channel. Their choices among the development alternatives were scattered.