Mayor Bloomberg & Governor Paterson Visiting Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park Today - View Delivery Of 24 Granite Stones For FDR Memorial Death Box
Image of View From Southpoint Park That Will Be Blocked By FDR Memorial Sculpture Room From the Main Street WIRE
Later this afternoon, New York State Governor David Paterson and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will come to Roosevelt Island to welcome the arrival of the Granite Foundation Stones for the FDR Memorial Boondoggle. According to the event's invitation:
... 24 monolithic stones will be barged up the East River to the Park. The stones, 12" x 6" x 6", 36 tons each will be off-loaded by crane onto the site to form the foundation of what architect Louis B. Kahn called the "Room"...Others call it the Death Room Mausoleum.
Here's the invitation for the event.
The Main Street WIRE photo at top of post is of the panoramic view of the East River Waterfront that will forever be lost once the granite "death room" is constructed.
Sad day for Roosevelt Island.
Update 11:40 PM - Roosevelt Island Historical Society President Judy Berdy was there and shares some images from the day.
Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson At Southpoint Park,
The granite stones for the Death Room being delivered,
RIOC Directors Howard Polivy, Jonathan Kalkin and Margie Smith,
and invited guests.
Ms Berdy has more images from the event here.Governor Paterson's Flikr page notes:
Governor Paterson takes part in the ceremony to place the granite foundation stones at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. The Governor signs his name on a placement stone.
The Daily News Daily Politics provides this tidbit about the signing ceremony:
... the officials were asked to sign their names in the cement with nails for the park's foundation stones. However, the ceremony went on so long that by the time they were ready to sign, the cement was practically dry. The odd thing is that I'm told Maloney took the nails along with her when she left.)...The highlight of the day for Mayor Bloomberg had to have been as he was leaving Southpoint Park and stopped by to chat, or more accurately, listen to Riverwalk Bar & Grill owner Alphonso DiCioccio's reminiscing on past encounters as co-owner Sal Hoo looks on in bemusement.
