BY DEBORAH GLICK | I, like many of you, was not prepared for the outcome of the November election. A silver lining is that it has galvanized progressive communities. I will continue to work toward ensuring the greatest protections for our community and New Yorkers as a whole.
Pier 40 has long been in need of significant capital repairs. Due to the recently approved ULURP (Uniform Land-Use Review Procedure) for the redevelopment of the St. John’s Terminal site, Pier 40 will receive $100 million from a sale of air rights, as well as $14 million from the city, which will go toward repairing the pier’s piles and other capital needs. This is great news for the pier’s long-term stability.
Pier 40 has long been the major source of income for Hudson River Park, and with increased development, this pressure has increased — but so has the demand for both active and passive open space. With most major capital repairs no longer needing funding, any redevelopment of Pier 40 should be smaller and low impact while still allowing for revenue for the whole park.
I am pleased that Community Board 2 formed a working group focused on gathering input from the community and stakeholders about the types of uses people want to see on Pier 40. Meetings will be monthly and are open to the public, and details will be on the C.B. 2 Web site. I hope as many people as possible participate in this process on how to best utilize Pier 40 for generations to come.
Last year, Mt. Sinai announced that it would be closing Beth Israel Hospital and rebuilding a smaller version of it a few blocks away. While the hospital is outside of my district, the impact of the transformation of health services is something that will impact our greater community, my district included. My colleagues and I have requested that the Department of Health hold public hearings on Lower Manhattan’s overall healthcare needs and hospital bed requirements. We have also requested additional community engagement from Mt. Sinai to ensure that the community is informed and concerns are addressed well in advance of service changes.
Several progressive bills that I sponsor, including the Reproductive Health Act and a ban on “gay conversion therapy,” have passed the Assembly this year. The R.H.A. would guarantee New York women access to safe, legal abortions, even if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
The Assembly has passed bills I co-sponsored, including one to make New York a “sanctuary state” and the gender non-discrimination act (GENDA) to protect transgender New Yorkers.
Other priority bills yet to pass include a state hydrofracking ban, early voting and automatic voter registration, and the New York Health Act, to create a statewide single-payer healthcare system. Local bills I sponsor include expanding speed-camera legislation, limiting how long building scaffolding and sidewalk sheds stay up, and mandating at least one State Liquor Authority member be from New York City.
I’m thrilled a great middle school is underway at 75 Morton. Incubating at Clinton is a good temporary solution. I support naming it for Jane Jacobs.
Glick is assemblymember, 66th District, covering Greenwich Village, Tribeca, Soho, Noho and part of the East Village
