The hostage: South Street Seaport.
The demand: Get rid of a 42-story luxury residential high-rise.
The stakes: The Howard Hughes project would generate funds to revive the area, but first, it needs the City Council’s approval.
The future of South Street Seaport is in jeopardy because of one holdout: Councilwoman Margeret Chin, The NY Daily News reports. Chin and supporter Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer feel the luxury building would be as out of place as “a tower at Colonial Williamsburg,” an observation that seems completely unaware of the numerous other skyscrapers surrounding the area. The tower has already scaled back from 50 stories to 42, but that’s not enough for Chin and local NIMBYs (eight down, 42 more to go). The only hostage negotiator fit to save the day is Mayor Bill de Blasio, who can make a strong case to the City Council, and possibly even apply some pressure if necessary.
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