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Another Rich White Man Battle: Pier 57
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 7, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 7, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Just a couple blocks south of the much-coveted MTA railyards, two other rich dudes are fighting over the right to develop Pier 57. The Daily News calls it the "heavyweight real estate duel of the season" (we guess the DN thinks the Hudson Yards is the duel of the year), and gives some good background of the two developers, Roland Betts of Chelsea Piers (and Dubya crony) and Stephen Witkoff, a real estate developer, as well as which politicians they're tight with. The main difference between the two bids is the Betts would be expanding Chelsea Piers, while Witkoff's plan, "The Leonardo at Pier 57" would be putting in a ton of banquet space (hello, corporate holiday party; hello, bar mitzvah) as well as galleries and stores featuring Italian artists and retailers. The Italian theme goes further with accusations from the Betts team that the caterer Witkoff proposes has mob ties, which makes Gothamist eager to see what other mud will be slung/slinged.
The Hudson River Park Trust has the two proposals here.
Photograph from Wired NY
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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