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Billionaire's Levitating Hudson River Forest Park Dream Gets Go-Ahead From Judge
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Apr 8, 2016
Modified Apr 8, 2016
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Apr 8, 2016
Modified Apr 8, 2016
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Billionaire Barry Diller's suspended park on the Hudson River hit a snag last year when a group filed a lawsuit to block its construction, claiming the developers and the Hudson River Park Trust weren't transparent enough about the project plans. But this week a Manhattan Supreme Court Justice tossed the suit, so "Hollywood on the Hudson" is on.
The 2.4 acre, $130 million park, dubbed Pier 55, has been largely funded by Diller, a media executive who is married to Diane von Furstenberg. Civic group the City Club of New York tried to halt construction, claiming that the Hudson River Park Trust knew about Diller's plans for the park for years before disclosing them to the public, that the park could screw up the Hudson River's natural ecosystem, and that the park would unlawfully host ticketed concerts and other events.
But yesterday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Joan Lobis ruled that the pier "would not cause significant adverse impacts on the aquatic habitat," based on the results of an environmental review, and that the park could go ahead with its concert and events plans. "New York City has a long history of permitting cultural activities in its public parks," Lobis wrote in her decision.
"The court did what we hoped, reject completely the claims made by the City Club,” Diller said in a statement. “On behalf of Hudson River Park Trust, and all those involved in this project, I'm so glad we can get back to the work: that of building a great park and performance center for the people of New York and all those who come to visit."
Note that Pier 55 isn't a foregone conclusion—The City Club plans to appeal the court's decision, the project still needs to be approved by the the Army Corps of Engineers, and the way these things go it will look nothing like the renderings.
Tagged
Barry Diller
Hudson River Park
Pier 55
Rebecca Fishbein
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