Feb. 19, 2009
Welcome to the Broadsheet DAILY,
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The Editors
Terese Loeb Kreuzer
Broadsheet Daily Editor
TereseLoeb@mac.com
Contributors:
Matthew Fenton
Evan Simko-Bednarski
Robert Simko
Publisher
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Dear Reader,
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Today's Weather: High: 49°. Low: 22°. Chance of rain.
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Coastal flooding concerns in Battery Park City
Water is rising because of global warming
A storm on the Hudson River. (Photo: Robert Simko)
Reports from government panels about coastal flooding, plus newfound caution on the part of mortgage lenders and insurers, are raising questions about the future of Battery Park City and what it will cost to live or do business here in the future.
Yesterday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's New York City Panel on Climate Change released projections that estimated New York's coastal waters could rise between two and five inches by the 2020s and almost two feet before the end of the century. Last month, the federal government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in a review of the nation's mid-Atlantic coast, said that waterfront regions "need to rigorously assess vulnerability" to sea level rise. And a New York State task force - the Climate Partnership, which is part of the State's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) - is preparing a third report that is expected to echo the warning that sea levels are rising higher and faster than at any time in recent memory, with possibly dire consequences.
This is sobering news for a community built at the Manhattan shore line. While these changes have gone mostly unnoticed by the neighborhood, they have been quietly noted by the banks and insurance companies without whose help most condominium buyers cannot afford to purchase apartments and most rental building landlords cannot do business.
"Even lenders who are accustomed to dealing with Battery Park City's unusual ground-lease environment are now requiring extra flood insurance," said attorney Luigi Rosabianca, who frequently represents apartment buyers and sellers in the neighborhood. In the past, he noted, "the basic level of coverage carried by most buildings was enough for them." In the last six months, however, Mr. Rosabianca has noticed that more lenders insist on buyers purchasing supplemental flood insurance before they issue a mortgage for Battery Park City condos. "So far, this hasn't derailed many deals," he said, "but it does make it more difficult to get the deal done. Having to pay extra for flood insurance is frustrating enough for somebody who is buying on the 25th floor," he said. "So this is one more factor that incrementally contributes to softer selling prices. Buyers either think 'enough is enough' and walk away, or else they expect the deal to be sweetened with lower prices."
"That banks, insurers, reinsurers and other people who study risk for a living are starting to recognize this and put a price on it is not at all surprising," said Mark Lowery, the coordinator of the DEC's Climate Partnership. "Unlike most people, they are trained and paid to think in terms of very long horizons." He added, "the fact that these people are starting to charge more for their products bolsters the argument that the effects of climate change are real and ongoing."
The Mayor's task force on coastal flooding is working to amend building codes so that discounted flood insurance will become more available. Nevertheless, said Roland Lewis, president of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, "We have to recognize that there's going to be a higher cost for insurance, some mortgages and other products. New York is the third most vulnerable city in America - after New Orleans and Miami - to the effects of a major storm." He added that, "Battery Park City was developed the way much of New York City was built - right next to the shoreline. So the question becomes what kind of adaptable features can we retro-fit onto Battery Park City, and the New York City shoreline as a whole, that will reduce our vulnerability?"
"I'm hopeful that some of the infrastructure dollars coming from the federal stimulus package can he used for this," Mr. Lewis said, "but the problem is that it's difficult to make the case for this kind of investment even in the best of times. In the present economic climate, it's going to be especially challenging."
"The Mayor's report and the others will have serious financial implications," said Community Board 1 vice chair Catherine McVay Hughes, "starting today and moving forward. The ramifications will impact potential buyers and the prospective sellers - and also indirectly affect tenants whose landlords will have to bear the increased costs."
She added that it is becoming increasingly important for people who reside in Battery Park City and elsewhere in Lower Manhattan, "to know the financial implications, short-term and long-term, of a decision to live or do business here." She added that CB1 hopes to schedule a discussion of projected sea-level rise, along with all its implications for the Downtown community, in the near future.
- Matthew Fenton
For a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) site that states flood risk in any given building and provides insurance information, click here.
Map of Lower Manhattan showing areas that are most vulnerable to flooding. (Courtesy of FEMA)
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Letter to the editor
Where's Sam?
To the editor:
I was so pleased to see the photo of Sam's falafel in the Broadsheet DAILY (Feb. 17) and wonder if you could let us know his location. We are in New York infrequently but when we are, I always look for Sam and haven't found him in several years. - C. Priscilla Mallett
From the editor:
Sam is in Zuccotti Park most weekdays.
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Calendar of events
Feb. 19-20
Thursday, Feb. 19
Undercurrents & Exchange at the Winter Garden, World Financial Center
Undercurrents & Exchange is a month-long engagement with the employees and visitors of the World Financial Center. During February, artists will present a new dance every workday during the lunch hour, unearthing the hidden, interpersonal undercurrents of our daily routines. Each short dance will be a world unto itself but also accumulate meaning over the course of the month as the performances reveal the often veiled, but perpetually possible connections within the transitional spaces of the Winter Garden. Coupled with the performances are four displays located throughout the WFC that further explore hidden and improbable pairings. By Zach Morris and Tom Pearson, also featuring choreography by Marissa Nielsen-Pincus and Tara O'Con. Through Feb. 27. Free. 1 p.m.-1:10 p.m. Winter Garden. 212-945-5050. www.worldfinancialcenter.com
Animation Celebration, Part 1 at the Museum of the American Indian
Short, animated films by Native directors in the United States and Canada. Through March 1. Free. 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. (and 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays). Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, One Bowling Green. 212-514-3716. www.americanindian.si.edu
Quartet San Francisco at Trinity Church
Jeremy Cohen, violin; Joel Cohen, cello; Kayo Miki, violin; Keith Lawrence, viola. Performing works by Brubeck, McCartney, Cohen, Hagen, and others. $2 suggested donation. 1 p.m. Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street. 212-602-0706. www.trinitywallstreet.org
Film: 'Wallmapu: Our Territory, Our Story' at the Museum of the American Indian
A visual presentation and discussion examines from within the contemporary concerns and traditions of the Mapuche of Chile. Selections from the award-winning documentary "Wallmapu" and other films will be followed by a discussion with "Wallmapu" filmmaker Jeanette Paillán (Mapuche), and Luis Carcamo-Huechante (Mapuche), Associate Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard University, with Gabriela Rangel, Director of Visual Arts, Americas Society. Also Feb. 20. Free. 6 p.m. National Museum of the American Indian, One Bowling Green. 212-514-3716. www.americanindian.si.edu
Highlights in Jazz at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center
In this 36th anniversary celebration, featured musicians include Dick Hyman, Joe Wilder, David Ostwald's Gully Low Jazz Band with Wycliffe Gordon, Anat Cohen, Jon-Erik Kellso and Kevin Dorn. $35. 8 p.m. Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers St. 212-220-1460. www.tribecapac.org
Memory Book Workshop at the African Burial Ground
Participants will create their own hand-crafted book filled with special memories. 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. African Burial Ground, 290 Broadway. 212-668-2251. www.nps.gov/afbg
Writing Workshop at the African Burial Ground
Participants will weave personal imagery with stories and current events. Attendees are asked to bring small objects around which to build their memory stories. Free. 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. African Burial Ground, 290 Broadway. 212-668-2251. www.nps.gov/afbg
Film: 'Made in L.A.' at 92YTribeca
This Emmy-award winning documentary follows the story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles garment sweatshops on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from a mega-trendy clothing retailer. Compelling and humorous, "Made in L.A." is a story about the power of unity and the courage it takes to find your voice. Panel discussion with filmmakers Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar to follow the screening. Co-presented by Chicken & Egg Pictures and Working Films. Directors: Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar. 2007. 70 min. In English and Spanish with bilingual subtitles. $12. 8 p.m. 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. 212-601-1000. www.92YTribeca.org/film
Tribeca Performing Arts Center: Concerts, plays and dance performances for adults and children take place at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, which is part of the Borough of Manhattan Community College on Chambers Street. Tomorrow, there will be a jazz concert with a line-up of stellar musicians. On Sunday, the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia will bring "Goodnight Moon" and "The Runaway Bunny" to the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. The plays for children 3 and older are based on beloved children's books by Margaret Wise Brown. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Friday, Feb. 20
Quartet San Francisco at Trinity Church
Jeremy Cohen, violin; Joel Cohen, cello; Kayo Miki, violin; Keith Lawrence, viola. Performing works by Brubeck, McCartney, Cohen, Hagen, and others. $2 suggested donation. 1 p.m. Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street. 212-602-0706. www.trinitywallstreet.org
Highlights in Jazz at Tribeca Performing Arts Center
In this 36th anniversary celebration, featured musicians include Dick Hyman, Joe Wilder, David Ostwald's Gully Low Jazz Band with Wycliffe Gordon, Anat Cohen, Jon-Erik Kellso and Kevin Dorn. $35. 8 p.m. Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers St. 212-220-1460. www.tribecapac.org
African Adinkra Cloth Workshop at the African Burial Ground
Participants will create their own designs or Adinkra symbol stamps. Free. 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. African Burial Ground, 290 Broadway. 212-668-2251. www.nps.gov/afbg
Spoken Word Workshop at the African Burial Ground
Participants will be invited to express what they've learned about the Burial Ground and history of enslaved and free Africans. Free. 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. African Burial Ground, 290 Broadway. 212-668-2251. www.nps.gov/afbg
Drums from Africa Workshop at the African Burial Ground
Participants will learn how to construct, play and repair various types of drums. Free. 11a.m. African Burial Ground, 290 Broadway. 212-668-2251. www.nps.gov/afbg
Byte Me: Inside Digital Gaming: Narrative Games with Nick Fortugno at 92YTribeca
Are video games an empty entertainment or an emergent art form? If games are a form of fiction, where are its great works of emotional power? In this talk, Nick Fortugno, co-founder of Rebel Monkey, looks at the state of meaningful narrative and drama in digital games, and explores the strange new aesthetic possibilities that games offer. $10. 8 p.m. 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. 601-1000. www.92YTribeca.org
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Downtown bulletin board
School information; CB1 meeting; Ballroom dancing; Bone marrow donors needed; Spa for the Soul workshops
··· School information sessions for parents of incoming kindergarten students
As
a follow-up to a recent Open House at the Tweed Courthouse where two
kindergarten programs will be housed in the fall, Assemblyman Sheldon
Silver's office has set up additional information sessions for Downtown
parents whose children will start school in September.
During
these sessions, parents will be able to meet with the principals of the
two schools (PS 276 and the Spruce Street School) and Department of
Education staff who can answer questions about the schools and the
application process.
The sessions are scheduled as follows:
Wednesday, Feb. 25 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tweed Courthouse, 52 Chambers St.
Thursday, Feb. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Manhattan Youth Community Center, 120 Warren St.
In addition, Speaker Silver's staff is available to answer questions about the new schools. Call 212-312-1420 or e-mail silver@assembly.state.ny.us for additional information.
···Community Board 1 Quality of Life Committee meeting
Community Board 1's Quality of Life Committee
meets tonight, Feb. 19. The agenda includes:
1)
Update on construction projects in Lower Manhattan by Robin Forst,
Director of Community and Government Relations, LMCCC
2)
Presentation
by Dr. Cynthia Maurer, Exec. Director of Visiting Neighbors, which
supports seniors to help them remain independent - Resolution
3)
Discussion
about the practice of ticketing residents in the Financial District for
loading and unloading cars in No Standing or No Loading zones -
Tentative
4)
Discussion of Committee Goals and Accomplishments for 2008 Annual Report
PLACE:
Community Board 1 office, 49-51 Chambers St., Room 709
TIME: 6 p.m.
All are welcome to attend. Bring photo ID to enter the building.
··· Ballroom dance class (for beginners)
Led by 'Doctor Dance' and sponsored by Mosaic Manhattan Church. Thursdays, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Feb. 19 through April 23 in the PS 89 cafeteria. $195 per couple. To register or ask questions call Gregg at 646-335-3342 or gregg@mosaicmanhattan.com
···Bone marrow donors needed
 Five-year-old Jasmina Anema was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive
form of leukemia on Jan. 20, 2009 and has been hospitalized since then,
hoping for a bone marrow donation that could save her life. Jasmina is
African-American and was adopted. Her doctor explained that finding a
perfect bone marrow donor would be extremely difficult because
African-Americans have more diverse HLA (human leukocyte antigen)
types. Jasmina has no full siblings, and because she was adopted, there
is no information about her extended birth family.
People
from ages 18 to 55 can be bone marrow donors. Registration as a
potential donor entails swabbing the inside of your cheeks and sending
the sample to a lab to be tissue typed. Once you are processed, your
information is stored anonymously until your 61st birthday, unless you
ask to be removed. Most of the time, the actual procedure for donating
bone marrow is similar to donating blood. Around one-quarter of bone
marrow donations entail withdrawing marrow from the donor's hip using a
special syringe. This is an out-patient procedure done with local or
general anesthesia.
On March 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., PS 41 at
116 W. 11th St. will hold a bone marrow registration event with
information about bone marrow donation and assistance in sending in a
cheek swab sample.
For more information about Jasmina and about how to become a bone marrow donor, go to http://oneforjasmina.com/
···'Spa for the Soul' workshops at Trinity Wall Street
The third year of Trinity Wall Street's "Spa for the Soul" workshops begins
this Saturday, Feb. 21 with "Community in Song," an interactive
workshop that explores African-American history and culture through a
wide range of vocal music, as well as some chants in Latin. Singing
three and four part harmonies (depending upon the level and interest of
the group) will be followed by a discussion of the social, political,
and spiritual context of the songs. Songs will be taught in the oral
tradition. All are welcome, and no experience is necessary. Workshop
leader: Ms. Lynn Anderson
Trinity "Spa for the Soul" workshops
take place one Saturday a month through June. Each explores a different
way of finding peace in daily life. In each session, spiritual guides
will offer different approaches including laughter, breathing
techniques, visualization, contemplative prayer, exercises for the
mind, body and soul, and more.
"Increasing financial burdens and the ever-growing climate of fear have taken an enormous emotional toll on countless New Yorkers," said the Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee, who heads the "Spa for the Soul" program. "To put it lightly - we are stressed! The 'Spa for the Soul' meditation series, first offered in 2007, was not originally created as a response to the financial crisis, but the teachings and lessons the series offers in terms of finding peace and tranquility through breathing, laughing, singing and just being together, are especially valuable during these times."
This year's series includes:
Feb. 21: Community in Song
March 14:
Grounded in Love, Praying with Nature, exploring the ways the natural
world can inspire prayer and impart wisdom, with the Rev. Nancy Roth
April 18: Laughing Really Matters with Ron Owens, who draws on his careers as teacher,
entertainer, hospice volunteer
coordinator, bereavement counselor and spiritual counselor to create a thought-provoking,
meditative and fun presentation.
May 9: Deepening Your Personal Spiritual Life with meditation, prayer, journaling and
periods of silence. Workshop leader: Dr. Westina Matthews Shatteen
June 20: Opening the Door: How to Make Space for Fulfillment, using whole body movements and meditation to connect participants with their true
desires and the obstacles impeding them. Workshop leaders: Ms. Hadley Seward and Ms. Veronica
Farje
The
workshops are available as a package or as single sessions. $25 single
workshop; $100 for all five workshops (fee includes lunch).
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. the day of the event. For more
information or to register, contact Janine McHale at jmchale@trinitywallstreet.org or call 212-602-0800. Workshops take place in the Trinity Church Parish Hall, 74 Trinity Place, 2nd floor parlor.
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