tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20743459.post8302582971088474121..comments2024-03-28T05:19:17.215-04:00Comments on Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report: Lessons from the West Side yards: it's the master plan, not the starchitect (etc.)Norman Oderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07618087999719667586noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20743459.post-18319677111765347792007-12-04T12:04:00.000-05:002007-12-04T12:04:00.000-05:00Regarding paragraph six of today’s post, look at t...Regarding paragraph six of today’s post, look at the picture of the Brookfield Properties contextual model showing the Hudson yards project in the neighborhood in which it will sit.<BR/><BR/> The Hudson Yards site though denser than AY is pushing the envelope and may itself be too dense- But, as seen from looking at the contextual model Brookfield supplied it is contextual and flowing with its surroundings. It bubbles up in density slightly over what it will be adjacent to. It doesn't jut up over the surroundings and what is planned for them like AY. For instance, AY is across the street from the new Fifth Avenue Committee Atlantic Terrace building which when complete will be 10 stories. Across the street the 15-story electronic sign on AY will itself be five stories taller. That other project involves all sorts of decisions and subsidies from the same public decision makers involved in AY.<BR/><BR/> The reason that Hudson Yards pushes the density envelope to be even slightly bigger than its surroundings is to maximize the sale price of the land to the MTA. The thinking is that it is better for the MTA to get the value associated with this density than to give it to the adjacent land owners who get SLIGHTLY lower densities at which they can build. The Hudson Yards density ties in with the center-of-Manhattan density that flows out from Moynihan Station, Times Square and the Port Authority. Yes it is right near the Javits Center but there is an intervening parcel between Hudson Yards and the Javits Center. And pointing out that the project is on the Hudson and the Hudson River Park is a trenchant observation in this regard. <BR/><BR/> Several things will make the Hudson Yards density much more tolerable. The additions of new public streets and pedestrian ways done the way Brookfield Properties proposal does fills a Jane Jacobs prescription to deal with and make density work. The greater and better mixed-use will also help, something Jane Jacobs also asserted. Then there is the likely quality of the public spaces we will probably get as a result of this process. Again, I would point to the Brookfield Properties proposal with Related being the second I would point to. In this regard, preservation of the High Line should also help. Adding levels of pedestrian walkways has similar benefit to adding streets.<BR/><BR/> Also helping to make the density more tolerable will be the addition of a new subways line, probably a new Water Taxi stop, the ability of people to walk to work and the ease with which additional buses can quickly get people to most midtown destination including work.<BR/><BR/> One thing about the Brookfield model: although it shows existing density and the zoning envelop for most adjacent new building, there are many new buildings in development just to the North and Northeast which are not shown. If shown the density would be seen as even more clearly contextual. That contextual model does not show all the big buildings being built in the area. Nearby there are another two being built by Dermot, projects by Kanga-Roo, Kaliminian, Douglaston Development, Lalezarian Developers, and Rockrose Development Company. And just uptown, as it was just announced, it proposed to build a tower over the Port Authority bus station.<BR/><BR/> As for the proportion of “affordable” units? Right now, we are still waiting to see what kind of housing subsidies Ratner is out to grab for himself. Don’t expect his units to come out of thin air. By the same token, the developers at Hudson Yards may get subsides that could increase affordable housing there. It is important to realize where these subsidies flow will dictate where affordable units will show up. Less fro Ratner may mean more for Hudson Yards. And it might not be good to concentrate too much of these subsidies at either Atlantic Yards or Hudson Yards since it could be much better to distribute them elsewhere to other project where they could be better used.MDDWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16693635186364315879noreply@blogger.com