Ice cream!
Some 40 members of the Alliance gathered in the Battery Maritime Building on November 6 for an up-to-the-minute progress report on the master plan for the Island's open space - and a surprise finding that participants in last month's workshops put ice cream first among diversions people want when they visit. Why ice cream? Evan Rose, a member of the Island's park design team, said, "Governors Island is a little bit of a kids' space, and kids like ice cream."
Rose delivered a PowerPoint presentation on the feedback received from the workshops and other public input. He followed Leslie Koch, GIPEC's president, and Betty Chen, vice president for planning. There was lots of progress to report [see "A Home for Arts..."], but one big problem - money - emphasized by Albert Butzel, an Alliance board member.
Some 40 members of the Alliance gathered in the Battery Maritime Building on November 6 for an up-to-the-minute progress report on the master plan for the Island's open space - and a surprise finding that participants in last month's workshops put ice cream first among diversions people want when they visit. Why ice cream? Evan Rose, a member of the Island's park design team, said, "Governors Island is a little bit of a kids' space, and kids like ice cream."
Rose delivered a PowerPoint presentation on the feedback received from the workshops and other public input. He followed Leslie Koch, GIPEC's president, and Betty Chen, vice president for planning. There was lots of progress to report [see "A Home for Arts..."], but one big problem - money - emphasized by Albert Butzel, an Alliance board member.
New York City has committed $7.4 million for operating expenses next
year, conditioned on the state doing the same. So far, the state has
committed nothing. To get Albany's attention, Butzel said, "Everybody
in this room needs to write a letter to Governor Paterson; $7.4 million
is the absolutely critical number."
Koch acknowledged that money is tight now for everything, but echoed Mayor Bloomberg's observation that it is smart to continue planning in tough economic times to be better prepared to get moving when conditions improve.
After ice cream, Rose said, the next most popular activity was biking, then concerts, festivals, "lawn activities" (picnics, Frisbee, sunbathing) and finally pickup sports and league sports. In response to a question Koch promised, "We'll have sports fields, multi-purpose sports fields."
The No. 1 ranking of ice cream is further evidence that people see the Island as a safe place to bring their children and let them run free. Jamie Maslyn, a member of the West 8 design firm, said, "We'll probably need paper napkin dispensers all over the Island because people will want to clean up their kids' faces."
Rose said, "It's relatively easy to get New Yorkers to come once; getting people to come back is what's going to make the Island successful." Return visitors come "to enjoy the place, to run or something." Two other findings: Visits tend to be for a full day and - surprise! - "Governors Island is closer than you realize."
Rose's Urban Design+ firm, a member of the West 8 design team, is also working on the creation of a whole new town on a former Navy air base in Massachusetts. Pleased to be talking to a meeting of Island supporters, he pointed out that "usually the people who show up at meetings like this are opposed to whatever we're doing."
Chen announced that the GIPEC team will be ready to present its preliminary concepts for the park in February and a draft plan in the spring. The final Master Plan is to be released by opening day, May 30, 2009.
Koch acknowledged that money is tight now for everything, but echoed Mayor Bloomberg's observation that it is smart to continue planning in tough economic times to be better prepared to get moving when conditions improve.
After ice cream, Rose said, the next most popular activity was biking, then concerts, festivals, "lawn activities" (picnics, Frisbee, sunbathing) and finally pickup sports and league sports. In response to a question Koch promised, "We'll have sports fields, multi-purpose sports fields."
The No. 1 ranking of ice cream is further evidence that people see the Island as a safe place to bring their children and let them run free. Jamie Maslyn, a member of the West 8 design firm, said, "We'll probably need paper napkin dispensers all over the Island because people will want to clean up their kids' faces."
Rose said, "It's relatively easy to get New Yorkers to come once; getting people to come back is what's going to make the Island successful." Return visitors come "to enjoy the place, to run or something." Two other findings: Visits tend to be for a full day and - surprise! - "Governors Island is closer than you realize."
Rose's Urban Design+ firm, a member of the West 8 design team, is also working on the creation of a whole new town on a former Navy air base in Massachusetts. Pleased to be talking to a meeting of Island supporters, he pointed out that "usually the people who show up at meetings like this are opposed to whatever we're doing."
Chen announced that the GIPEC team will be ready to present its preliminary concepts for the park in February and a draft plan in the spring. The final Master Plan is to be released by opening day, May 30, 2009.