Battery Park City, Manhattan
Encyclopedia
Battery Park City is a 92 acre (0.37231112 km²) planned community
at the southwestern tip of lower Manhattan
in New York City
, United States
. The land upon which it stands was created by land reclamation
on the Hudson River
using 1.2 million cubic yards (917,000 m3) of soil and rocks excavated during the construction of the World Trade Center
and certain other construction projects, as well as from sand dredged from New York Harbor off Staten Island. The neighborhood, which is the site of the World Financial Center
along with numerous housing, commercial and retail buildings, is named for adjacent Battery Park.
Battery Park City is owned and managed by the Battery Park City Authority
(BPCA), a public-benefit corporation created by New York State under the authority of the Urban Development Corporation
. Excess revenue from the area was to be contributed to other housing efforts, typically low-income projects in the Bronx and Harlem.
Under the 1989 agreement between the BPCA and the City of New York, $600 million was transferred by the BPCA to the city. Charles J. Urstadt, the first Chairman and CEO of the BPCA, noted in an August 19, 2007 op-ed piece in the New York Post
that the aggregate figure of funds transferred to the City of New York is above $1.4 billion with the BPCA continuing to contribute $200 million a year.
Much of this funding has historically been diverted to general city expenses, under section 3.d of the 1989 agreement. However, in July 2006, Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Pataki, and Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. announced the final approval for the New York City Housing Trust Fund derived from $130 million in Battery Park City revenues. The Fund aims to preserve or create 4,300 affordable units over the next three years. It also provided seed financing for the New York Acquisition Fund, a $230 million initiative that aims to serve as a catalyst for the construction and preservation of more than 30,000 units of affordable housing Citywide over the next 10 years. The Acquisition Fund has since established itself as a model for similar funds in cities and states across the country.
Battery Park City is bounded on the east by West Street, which separates the area from the Financial District of downtown Manhattan. To the west, north and south, the area is surrounded by the tidal estuary
of the Hudson River.
The development consists of roughly five major sections. Traveling north to south, the first neighborhood, the "North Residential Neighborhood," has high-rise residential buildings, a large hotel, Stuyvesant High School
, a movie theater and a modern branch of the New York Public Library. Existing restaurants located in the hotel have been closed following a take over of the property by Goldman Sachs
with new development planned for " ... a trio of restaurants run by Danny Meyer
– the New York City restaurant wunderkind – as well as a new ballroom and conference centre, attached to the hotel which will be upgraded. In addition, the bank [Goldman Sachs] plans 5,000 square feet of retail units." Former undeveloped lots in the area have been developed into high-rise buildings. Goldman Sachs
has completed building a new headquarters at 200 West Street
. The Battery Park City Ferry Terminal
is at the foot of Vesey Street
opposite the New York Mercantile Exchange
.
Immediately to the south lies the World Financial Center
, a complex of several commercial buildings occupied by tenants including American Express
, Dow Jones & Company
, Merrill Lynch
, Nomura Holdings
, RBC Capital Markets
, and Deloitte & Touche. The World Financial Center's ground floor and portions of the second floor are occupied by a mall; its center point is a steel-and-glass atrium known as the Winter Garden
. Outside of the Winter Garden lies a sizeable yacht
harbor on the Hudson known as North Cove.
South of the World Financial Center lies the majority of Battery Park City's residential areas, in three sections: "Gateway Plaza", a high-rise building complex; the "Rector Place Residential Neighborhood" and the "Battery Place Residential Neighborhood". These neighborhoods contain most of the area's residential buildings, along with park space and various types of supporting businesses (supermarket
s, restaurant
s, movie theater
s.) Construction of residential buildings began north of the World Financial Center in the late 1990s and completion of the final lots scheduled to be completed by spring, 2011.
As of 2007, about 10,000 people live in Battery Park City, most of whom are upper middle class
and upper class
(54.0% of households have incomes over $100,000). When fully built out, the neighborhood is projected to have 14,000 residents.
Population history:
which was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
By the late 1950s, the once prosperous port area of downtown Manhattan was occupied by a number of dilapidated shipping piers, casualties of the rise of container shipping which drove sea traffic to Port Elizabeth, New Jersey
. The initial proposal to reclaim this area through landfill
was offered in the early 1960s by private firms and supported by the Mayor. This plan became complicated when Governor Nelson Rockefeller
announced his desire to redevelop a part of the area as a separate project. The various groups reached a compromise, and in 1966 the governor unveiled the proposal for what would become Battery Park City. The creation of architect Wallace K. Harrison, the proposal called for a 'comprehensive community' consisting of housing, social infrastructure and light industry. The landscaping of the parkspace and later the Winter Garden was designed by M. Paul Friedberg
.
In 1968, the New York State Legislature created the Battery Park City Authority
(BPCA) to oversee development. The New York State Urban Development Corporation
and ten other public agencies were also involved in the development project. For the next several years, the BPCA made slow progress. In 1969, it unveiled a master plan for the area, and in 1972 issued $200 million in bonds to fund construction efforts. Landfill material from construction of the World Trade Center
was used to add land. Cellular cofferdam
s were constructed to retain the material. By 1976 the landfill was completed; in many cases, the pre-existing piers were simply buried. Construction efforts ground to a halt for nearly two years beginning in 1977, as a result of city-wide financial hardships. In 1979, the title to the landfill was transferred from the city to the Battery Park City Authority, which financially restructured itself and created a new, more viable master plan, designed by Alex Cooper
and Stanton Eckstut. The design of BPC to some degree reflects the values of vibrant city neighborhoods championed by Jane Jacobs
. The Urban Land Institute
(ULI) awarded the Battery Park City Master Plan its 2010 Heritage Award, for having "facilitated the private development of 9.3 million square feet of commercial space, 7.2 million square feet of residential space, and nearly 36 acres of open space in lower Manhattan, becoming a model for successful large-scale planning efforts and marking a positive shift away from the urban renewal mindset of the time."
During the late 1970s and early 1980s the site hosted Creative Time's landmark Art on the Beach sculpture exhibitions. On September 23, 1979, the landfill was the site of an anti-nuclear rally attended by 200,000 people.
Construction began on the first residential building in 1980, followed in 1981 with the start of construction on the World Financial Center
. Olympia and York
, of Toronto
, was named as the developer for the World Financial Center
in 1981, who then hired Cesar Pelli
as the lead architect. By 1985, construction was completed and the World Financial Center saw its first tenants.
Throughout the 1980s, the Battery Park City Authority oversaw a great deal of construction, including the entire Rector Place neighborhood and the river Esplanade. It was during this period that current City Planning Department Director Amanda Burden
worked on Battery Park City. During the 1980s a total of 13 buildings were constructed. In the early 1990s, Battery Park City became the new home of the Stuyvesant High School
. During the 1990s an additional 6 buildings were added to the neighborhood. By the turn of the 21st century, Battery Park City was mostly completed, with the exception of some ongoing construction on West Street.
Current residential neighborhoods of Battery Park City are divided into a north and south section, separated by the World Financial Center Complex. The southern section, extending down from the Winter Garden, is the more densely populated region, containing Gateway Plaza, and Rector Place apartment buildings. The northern section, although still under very large construction, consists entirely of large, 20-45 story buildings which are all various shades of orange brick.
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks had a major impact on Battery Park City. The residents of lower Manhattan and particularly of Battery Park City were displaced for ten days http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/21/nyregion/nation-challenged-battery-park-city-displaced-begin-make-their-way-back-home.html?pagewanted=all. Parts of the community were an official crime-scene and therefore a few residents were unable to return to live or even collect property for a longer period of time. When they were finally allowed to return to Battery Park City, some residents of the Gateway Plaza complex reported their homes had been looted. Upon return the air in the area was still filled with toxic smoke from the World Trade Center fires that persisted until January 2002.
Gateway Plaza's 600 building, Hudson View East and, the then Parc Place, now Rector Square were punctured by airplane parts and severely contaminated. The Winter Garden and other portions of the World Financial Center were severely damaged. Environmental concerns regarding dust from the Trade Center were a source of concern for many residents, scientists, and elected officials. Since the attacks, the damage has been repaired. While a substantial portion of the area's residents moved away permanently, temporarily reduced rents and government subsidies helped restore residential occupancy in the years following the attacks.
Since then, real estate development in the area has continued robustly. Commercial development includes the 2100000 square feet (195,096.4 m²) Goldman Sachs Group World Headquarters scheduled for occupancy in 2009. Goldman Sachs
is seeking gold-level certification under the United States Green Building Council
’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) program by incorporating various water and energy conservation features. Several residential projects are underway, including LEED buildings which cater to the environmentally conscious.
Construction history:
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
at the southwestern tip of lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The land upon which it stands was created by land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
using 1.2 million cubic yards (917,000 m3) of soil and rocks excavated during the construction of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
and certain other construction projects, as well as from sand dredged from New York Harbor off Staten Island. The neighborhood, which is the site of the World Financial Center
World Financial Center
The World Financial Center is a complex of buildings across West Street from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan in New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. This complex is home to offices of companies including Merrill Lynch, RBC Capital Markets, Nomura Group, the Wall Street...
along with numerous housing, commercial and retail buildings, is named for adjacent Battery Park.
Battery Park City is owned and managed by the Battery Park City Authority
Battery Park City Authority
The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority is a Class A New York State public benefit corporation. Its mission is "to plan, create, co-ordinate and maintain a balanced community of commercial, residential, retail, and park space within its designated 92-acre site on the lower west side of...
(BPCA), a public-benefit corporation created by New York State under the authority of the Urban Development Corporation
Empire State Development Corporation
The Urban Development Corporation, doing business as Empire State Development Corporation is a public authority of the state of New York in the United States that has financed and operated several ambitious state projects by issuing tax exempt bonds....
. Excess revenue from the area was to be contributed to other housing efforts, typically low-income projects in the Bronx and Harlem.
Under the 1989 agreement between the BPCA and the City of New York, $600 million was transferred by the BPCA to the city. Charles J. Urstadt, the first Chairman and CEO of the BPCA, noted in an August 19, 2007 op-ed piece in the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
that the aggregate figure of funds transferred to the City of New York is above $1.4 billion with the BPCA continuing to contribute $200 million a year.
Much of this funding has historically been diverted to general city expenses, under section 3.d of the 1989 agreement. However, in July 2006, Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Pataki, and Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. announced the final approval for the New York City Housing Trust Fund derived from $130 million in Battery Park City revenues. The Fund aims to preserve or create 4,300 affordable units over the next three years. It also provided seed financing for the New York Acquisition Fund, a $230 million initiative that aims to serve as a catalyst for the construction and preservation of more than 30,000 units of affordable housing Citywide over the next 10 years. The Acquisition Fund has since established itself as a model for similar funds in cities and states across the country.
Geography
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
of the Hudson River.
The development consists of roughly five major sections. Traveling north to south, the first neighborhood, the "North Residential Neighborhood," has high-rise residential buildings, a large hotel, Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
, a movie theater and a modern branch of the New York Public Library. Existing restaurants located in the hotel have been closed following a take over of the property by Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
with new development planned for " ... a trio of restaurants run by Danny Meyer
Danny Meyer
Daniel "Danny" Meyer is a New York City restaurateur and the CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group .-Personal life:...
– the New York City restaurant wunderkind – as well as a new ballroom and conference centre, attached to the hotel which will be upgraded. In addition, the bank [Goldman Sachs] plans 5,000 square feet of retail units." Former undeveloped lots in the area have been developed into high-rise buildings. Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
has completed building a new headquarters at 200 West Street
200 West Street
Goldman Sachs Tower is the global headquarters of Goldman Sachs located in Lower Manhattan. The building is a , 43-story building that opened in October 2009 in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Manhattan. It is located on West Street, between Vesey and Murray Streets...
. The Battery Park City Ferry Terminal
Battery Park City Ferry Terminal
The Battery Park City Ferry Terminal provides slips to ferries, water taxis, and sightseeing boats in the Port of New York and New Jersey. The floating dock is located on the Hudson River and moored at the foot of Vesey Street in Hudson River Park in Battery Park City, Manhattan...
is at the foot of Vesey Street
Vesey Street (Manhattan)
Vesey Street is a street in New York City that runs east-west in Lower Manhattan. The street is named after Rev. William Vesey , the first rector of nearby Trinity Church....
opposite the New York Mercantile Exchange
New York Mercantile Exchange
The New York Mercantile Exchange is the world's largest physical commodity futures exchange. It is located at One North End Avenue in the World Financial Center in the Battery Park City section of Manhattan, New York City...
.
Immediately to the south lies the World Financial Center
World Financial Center
The World Financial Center is a complex of buildings across West Street from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan in New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. This complex is home to offices of companies including Merrill Lynch, RBC Capital Markets, Nomura Group, the Wall Street...
, a complex of several commercial buildings occupied by tenants including American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
, Dow Jones & Company
Dow Jones & Company
Dow Jones & Company is an American publishing and financial information firm.The company was founded in 1882 by three reporters: Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser. Like The New York Times and the Washington Post, the company was in recent years publicly traded but privately...
, Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
, Nomura Holdings
Nomura Holdings
Nomura Holdings, Inc. is a Japanese financial holding company, and a principal member of the Nomura Group.In October 2008 the company acquired Lehman Brothers Holdings's investment banking and equities unit in Asia and Europe and kept on most of its employees. Nomura paid $225 million for the...
, RBC Capital Markets
RBC Capital Markets
RBC Capital Markets is a Canadian investment bank with assets of $711 billion. It is part of the Royal Bank of Canada and has one of the highest credit ratings in the world by Moody's and Standard & Poor's.,According to Bloomberg, RBCCM is consistently ranked among the top 20 global investment...
, and Deloitte & Touche. The World Financial Center's ground floor and portions of the second floor are occupied by a mall; its center point is a steel-and-glass atrium known as the Winter Garden
Winter Garden Atrium
The Winter Garden Atrium is a 10-story glass-vaulted pavilion on Vesey Street in New York City's World Financial Center. Originally constructed in 1988, and substantially rebuilt in 2002, the Atrium houses various plants, trees and flowers, and shops...
. Outside of the Winter Garden lies a sizeable yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
harbor on the Hudson known as North Cove.
South of the World Financial Center lies the majority of Battery Park City's residential areas, in three sections: "Gateway Plaza", a high-rise building complex; the "Rector Place Residential Neighborhood" and the "Battery Place Residential Neighborhood". These neighborhoods contain most of the area's residential buildings, along with park space and various types of supporting businesses (supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s.) Construction of residential buildings began north of the World Financial Center in the late 1990s and completion of the final lots scheduled to be completed by spring, 2011.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 7,951 people residing in Battery Park City. The population density was 41,032 people per square mile (15,855/km²). The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 75% White, 17.93% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.97% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.58% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. 5.32% of the population were Hispanic of any race. 27.7% of the population was foreign born, 51.8% came from Asia, 30.8% from Europe, 8.2% from Latin America and 9.2% from other (mostly Canada).As of 2007, about 10,000 people live in Battery Park City, most of whom are upper middle class
Upper middle class
The upper middle class is a sociological concept referring to the social group constituted by higher-status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term "lower middle class", which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle class stratum, and to the broader term "middle...
and upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
(54.0% of households have incomes over $100,000). When fully built out, the neighborhood is projected to have 14,000 residents.
Population history:
- 1980: -
- 1990: 5,574
- 2000: 7,951
- 2010: 13,386
History
Throughout the 19th century and early 20th century the area adjoining today's Battery Park City was known as the Greek quarter; a long-standing reminder of the ethnic past was the former St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox ChurchSt. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church stood across Liberty Street from the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, USA. It was completely destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks when the South Tower collapsed...
which was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is a major component of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Located on the Newark Bay it serves as the principal container ship facility for goods entering and leaving New York-Newark metropolitan area, and the northeastern quadrant of North America...
. The initial proposal to reclaim this area through landfill
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
was offered in the early 1960s by private firms and supported by the Mayor. This plan became complicated when Governor Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
announced his desire to redevelop a part of the area as a separate project. The various groups reached a compromise, and in 1966 the governor unveiled the proposal for what would become Battery Park City. The creation of architect Wallace K. Harrison, the proposal called for a 'comprehensive community' consisting of housing, social infrastructure and light industry. The landscaping of the parkspace and later the Winter Garden was designed by M. Paul Friedberg
M. Paul Friedberg
-Biography:M. Paul Friedberg was born in New York City where he attended Cornell University. In 1954 he emerged with a Bachelor of Science degree. He said that "after navigating four socially active years the reality of growing up set in." He said that his largest influence for pursuing landscape...
.
In 1968, the New York State Legislature created the Battery Park City Authority
Battery Park City Authority
The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority is a Class A New York State public benefit corporation. Its mission is "to plan, create, co-ordinate and maintain a balanced community of commercial, residential, retail, and park space within its designated 92-acre site on the lower west side of...
(BPCA) to oversee development. The New York State Urban Development Corporation
Empire State Development Corporation
The Urban Development Corporation, doing business as Empire State Development Corporation is a public authority of the state of New York in the United States that has financed and operated several ambitious state projects by issuing tax exempt bonds....
and ten other public agencies were also involved in the development project. For the next several years, the BPCA made slow progress. In 1969, it unveiled a master plan for the area, and in 1972 issued $200 million in bonds to fund construction efforts. Landfill material from construction of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
was used to add land. Cellular cofferdam
Cofferdam
A cofferdam is a temporary enclosure built within, or in pairs across, a body of water and constructed to allow the enclosed area to be pumped out, creating a dry work environment for the major work to proceed...
s were constructed to retain the material. By 1976 the landfill was completed; in many cases, the pre-existing piers were simply buried. Construction efforts ground to a halt for nearly two years beginning in 1977, as a result of city-wide financial hardships. In 1979, the title to the landfill was transferred from the city to the Battery Park City Authority, which financially restructured itself and created a new, more viable master plan, designed by Alex Cooper
Alex Cooper
Alexander Cooper, FAIA often credited as Alex Cooper, is an American architect and urban designer.In his piece on Cooper in The New York Times, Paul Goldberger wrote that Cooper "just might be the most influential architect in New York right now...
and Stanton Eckstut. The design of BPC to some degree reflects the values of vibrant city neighborhoods championed by Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobs
Jane Jacobs, was an American-Canadian writer and activist with primary interest in communities and urban planning and decay. She is best known for The Death and Life of Great American Cities , a powerful critique of the urban renewal policies of the 1950s in the United States...
. The Urban Land Institute
Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute, or ULI, is a non-profit research and education organization with offices in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and London...
(ULI) awarded the Battery Park City Master Plan its 2010 Heritage Award, for having "facilitated the private development of 9.3 million square feet of commercial space, 7.2 million square feet of residential space, and nearly 36 acres of open space in lower Manhattan, becoming a model for successful large-scale planning efforts and marking a positive shift away from the urban renewal mindset of the time."
During the late 1970s and early 1980s the site hosted Creative Time's landmark Art on the Beach sculpture exhibitions. On September 23, 1979, the landfill was the site of an anti-nuclear rally attended by 200,000 people.
Construction began on the first residential building in 1980, followed in 1981 with the start of construction on the World Financial Center
World Financial Center
The World Financial Center is a complex of buildings across West Street from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan in New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. This complex is home to offices of companies including Merrill Lynch, RBC Capital Markets, Nomura Group, the Wall Street...
. Olympia and York
Olympia and York
Olympia & York was once a major international property development firm based in Canada. The firm built major financial office complexes like Canary Wharf in London, the World Financial Center in New York City and First Canadian Place in Toronto...
, of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, was named as the developer for the World Financial Center
World Financial Center
The World Financial Center is a complex of buildings across West Street from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan in New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. This complex is home to offices of companies including Merrill Lynch, RBC Capital Markets, Nomura Group, the Wall Street...
in 1981, who then hired Cesar Pelli
César Pelli
César Pelli is an Argentine architect known for designing some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects listed Pelli among the ten most influential living American architects...
as the lead architect. By 1985, construction was completed and the World Financial Center saw its first tenants.
Throughout the 1980s, the Battery Park City Authority oversaw a great deal of construction, including the entire Rector Place neighborhood and the river Esplanade. It was during this period that current City Planning Department Director Amanda Burden
Amanda Burden
Amanda Jay Mortimer Burden is the director of the New York City Department of City Planning and chair of the City Planning Commission....
worked on Battery Park City. During the 1980s a total of 13 buildings were constructed. In the early 1990s, Battery Park City became the new home of the Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
. During the 1990s an additional 6 buildings were added to the neighborhood. By the turn of the 21st century, Battery Park City was mostly completed, with the exception of some ongoing construction on West Street.
Current residential neighborhoods of Battery Park City are divided into a north and south section, separated by the World Financial Center Complex. The southern section, extending down from the Winter Garden, is the more densely populated region, containing Gateway Plaza, and Rector Place apartment buildings. The northern section, although still under very large construction, consists entirely of large, 20-45 story buildings which are all various shades of orange brick.
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks had a major impact on Battery Park City. The residents of lower Manhattan and particularly of Battery Park City were displaced for ten days http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/21/nyregion/nation-challenged-battery-park-city-displaced-begin-make-their-way-back-home.html?pagewanted=all. Parts of the community were an official crime-scene and therefore a few residents were unable to return to live or even collect property for a longer period of time. When they were finally allowed to return to Battery Park City, some residents of the Gateway Plaza complex reported their homes had been looted. Upon return the air in the area was still filled with toxic smoke from the World Trade Center fires that persisted until January 2002.
Gateway Plaza's 600 building, Hudson View East and, the then Parc Place, now Rector Square were punctured by airplane parts and severely contaminated. The Winter Garden and other portions of the World Financial Center were severely damaged. Environmental concerns regarding dust from the Trade Center were a source of concern for many residents, scientists, and elected officials. Since the attacks, the damage has been repaired. While a substantial portion of the area's residents moved away permanently, temporarily reduced rents and government subsidies helped restore residential occupancy in the years following the attacks.
Since then, real estate development in the area has continued robustly. Commercial development includes the 2100000 square feet (195,096.4 m²) Goldman Sachs Group World Headquarters scheduled for occupancy in 2009. Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
is seeking gold-level certification under the United States Green Building Council
United States Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council , co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated...
’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
(LEED) program by incorporating various water and energy conservation features. Several residential projects are underway, including LEED buildings which cater to the environmentally conscious.
Construction history:
- 1980s: 13 buildings, 9 residential and 4 commercial
- 1990s: 6 buildings, 5 residential and 1 commercial
- 2000s: 10 buildings, 6 residential, 3 mixed use and 1 commercial
- 2010s: 3 buildings, 1 commercial(completed) and 2 residential(under construction)