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Paul Viggiano, president of Southbridge Towers co-op board, said at Community Board 1s meeting... Were going to get all of our political muscle together to do what we can to get this building down [in size].
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Great. It's the return of every skycraper fan's dreaded enemy - the over-reactive NIMBY. Where were these people when the 90-story 1 NY Place was proposed?
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Dan Slippen, director of community relations for Pace University, one of the buildings potential tenants, defended the increase in size. Weve been trying to make good will with the community, he told the board. We went to 75 stories because of an agreement with members of the community who did not want the bulk of the building against their building, which caused the building to rise.
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Exactly. You can't please everyone, so hopefully a line is drawn and Ratner continues to fight as he does in Brooklyn. Its also good that he has allies in the hopspital and Pace University.
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Nevertheless, residents of 140 and 150 Nassau Sts. thought the slimmer alternative was an improvement, Epstein said.
Relieved there will be space between his apartment and the tower Epsteins bedroom windows look out on the site Epstein argues that the building needs to be smaller in more ways than height. The height is what gets some people excited, but the bulk is what counts, he said. If its going to be in this size range, its going to be a massive building [no matter what].
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Finally some common sense. Hopefully these residents, together with the hospital and Pace stand their ground..
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The buildings staggering height and its bulk are not the communitys only concern. With no clear plans for amenities for the neighborhood aside from the open plaza C.B. 1 leaders and local politicians have stepped in to negotiate a development that is more appealing to the densely populated neighborhood.
Paul Goldstein, C.B. 1s district manager, is hoping to set aside 50,000 square feet of space in the new building for a community center for the neighborhood, one with a gym and swimming pool.
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There comes a time when you must say NO! The city can't allow projects to be held up according to every whim of someone who may happen to live in the area. This tower includes an expansion for the hospital (no community amenities?), an expansion for Pace,
more parking, an open plaza, retail space, but this guy wants to hold it up for a
swimming pool? Let them build one at the Seaport.
Its a decent site, but its only
so much you can squeeze in there.