Friday, July 20, 2007

LOUIS KAHN FDR MEMORIAL AT SOUTHPOINT PARK? VERY BAD IDEA!!!



THE NEW YORK SUN HAS AN ARTICLE TODAY ABOUT THE LOUIS KAHN DESIGNED FDR MEMORIAL PROPOSED FOR THE SOUTHERN TIP OF SOUTHPOINT PARK. THE MEMORIAL IS INTENDED TO BE PLACED AT THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF THE ABOVE PICTURE. THE ARTICLE STATES:

Although the institute is nearly $35 million away from its target, the executive director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Four Freedoms Park project, Gina Pollara, said she is confident the money will be raised in time. "It's going to happen," she said yesterday, after poring over digital renderings of the memorial in her office near Herald Square. "We're kind of in a now or never situation."
THE ARTICLE INCLUDES STATEMENTS FROM RIRA OFFICIALS OPPOSING THE MEMORIAL AT SOUTHPOINT:
The president and CEO of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association, Matthew Katz, said he is concerned that the memorial will cut off views to the east and west. A survey of residents found that most want "the greenest thing possible" in that space, he said.

"The Roosevelts were gods in my house, growing up," Mr. Katz said. "Whether this is the appropriate memorial is another question."

The association's secretary, Sherie Helstien, said that by resisting Kahn's memorial design, residents are trying to "save the last big community park" in the city. "I think a lot of us are just hoping they don't get the money," she said. "We don't want that thing here."

I AM ALSO STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THIS MEMORIAL BECAUSE THE STRUCTURE IS A HUGE OBSTRUCTION BLOCKING VIEWS OF THE EAST RIVER, MANHATTAN, EAST RIVER BRIDGES AND BROOKLYN FROM SOUTHPOINT PARK. THIS PROJECT MUST BE STOPPED AND I WILL BE POSTING MORE ON THIS SUBJECT SOON. I THINK THE FUTURE OF SOUTHPOINT PARK MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING THE FUTURE OF ROOSEVELT ISLAND AND IT DESERVES A FULL AND FAIR DEBATE ABOUT THIS PROPOSED MEMORIAL.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

What is the connection (other than the obvious, name) of FDR to Roosevelt Island? At a time when NYC is desperate for both housing and to retain and enhance the few open greann spaces remaining, why do we need this here? Wouldn't we be better served with focusing on the services to support the increased population, than taking up good park land(and revenue-generating) space on July 4th? How is this being funded?

ROOSEVELT ISLANDER said...

To my knowledge, the only connection (other than the obvious) is that when Roosevelt Island was first being developed as a residential community in the early 70's some public officials and planners expressed support for the project.
Below is link to an article expressing support for project.
http://archweb.cooper.edu/exhibitions/kahn/history_01.html

In my view these are far less than convincing arguements.

Timnas Indonesia said...

Wouldn't we be better served with focusing on the services to support
the increased population gambar payudara , than taking up good park land(and
revenue-generating) space on July 4th? How is this being funded?