The Hudson River Park Trust, the appointed body responsible for overseeing the Hudson River Park, has repeatedly looked for the financial silver bullet to produce the revenue-and more-that Pier 40 has generated over the past dozen years. Unfortunately, the suggested silver bullets have been extensive and inappropriate development schemes, some of which are based on uses that are illegal. It is now time for the Trust to present to the park-starved neighborhoods of the Westside a coherent vision for the entire Park based on uses that will support the Park, but not overwhelm it.

When the Hudson River Park was created, the promise to the Westside, which has little parkland and lots of planned development, was for a Park that would stretch all along the waterfront without major high-rise development that would wall off the Hudson River from the adjoining neighborhoods. This promise has taken a back seat with the Hudson River Park Task Force, convened by the Hudson River Park Trust, and entrusted with determining the future of the Park. These private conversations are by no means a substitute for the involvement of the larger community and cannot supplant the public conversation that still needs to occur.

Ultimately, it is up to the Hudson River Park Trust to present a holistic vision of the entire Park before we try to plug the budget gap of the Park with an "anything goes" philosophy at Pier 40 which is what the Trust is asking the State Legislature to do. The financial stability of the Park is important, but the Park can never generate enough revenue within its limited borders to fully support all the maintenance that will be required by a world class park that invites millions of visitors each year.

That being said, I've been asked what my plan for development at Pier 40 is. I believe that an adaptive reuse of the existing Pier 40 structure is not only possible, but preferable for the Park and the neighborhood. I can offer suggestions about the types of uses that I believe can be accommodated in the space without dramatically altering the sense of Pier 40 as part of the Park, but these suggestions are only that-suggestions. The Trust's vision should be presented to the community and my suggestions should also be included in the full discussion but they should abide by certain principles.

For a responsible development on Pier 40, I believe we should adhere to four prime goals

1. Preserving the ballfields and access to parking services.

2. Generating revenue for the Park.

3. Adaptive re-use of the existing Pier 40 building.

4. Ensuring the physical stability of Pier 40.

With these goals in mind, I draw from past recommendations regarding the anchor use on Pier 40-parking. Currently, the parking operation is an inefficient use of space. By using standard parking methods, the area utilized for parking could be dramatically condensed freeing up much of the rest of the Pier for other uses.

The synergy between the beauty of the Hudson River and the natural light potential at Pier 40 offers both galleries and studio use as one avenue for new commercial development. Additionally, the need for office space for small and mid-size technology firms continues to grow. The demographics of those most likely to work in these jobs allows those firms the added bonus of offering an environment that supports easy biking to work, and immediate recreation directly outside of the office. If we are to attract these types of office uses, and to enhance the Park experience for everyone, the inclusion of some reasonably priced food services at Pier 40 is appropriate as well.

Westside neighborhoods are the best examples of mixed use success in the City and this approach can be extended into the Park in a way that integrates it with local neighborhoods, but doesn't change the Park into some sort of mall. I firmly believe we have the capacity to reach a consensus on an array of uses that are value added to the Park and for which the Park is an essential element which invites them to operate in the Park.

While much of the focus is on Pier 40, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that other neighborhoods, like Hell's Kitchen, face an even more dramatic lack of park space. Therefore, the broad discussion of the Park's future should also touch on the potential for Pier 76 to give uptown communities an opportunity for open recreation space and not just expanded hotel and convention space. The promise of a Westside waterfront park must be for all neighborhoods on the Westside.