No Concession on Concessions
Ms. Friedman has unique power to stop the Parks Department in its plans, as the Assembly must approve any alienation of parkland for private uses, and the Assembly member in whose district the park sits gets final approval. (Alienation is the first step in order to lease out public parkland.)
The Parks Department prefers to refer to its agreements with private venders as "concessions," rather than "leases." According to Ms. Friedman, this is a dodge resulting in unchecked privatization of public space. She noted that the "concession" in Union Square Park--Luna Park--has operated for nine years.
"We will never give up an inch of Community Board 6's park space," she told the assembled board. Later, she told The Real Estate that she is prepared to go to court to stop the new restaurant planned for Union Square Park when the northern quadrant is finally renovated.
Community Board 6 has been tusslng with the Parks Department recently over Stuyvesant Square. Currently, Parks has issued a R.F.P. for a cafe in the park.
-Matthew Grace
I'm encouraged that someone is taking on the corruption of the public domain. Parkland belongs to the people not to a clique at the parks department or to Giuliani.
Bloomberg appears to be attempting to move "forward" with a "concession"-framed alienation of parkland on Randall's Island. The scheme is to build a tax-payer subsidized water theme park on 26 acres of ballfields. Why? Because someone got the bright idea - under Giuliani's reign - to build an water theme park . . .on an island.
$168 million dollars and 1800 new parking spots later (oh, and 10 less ball fields).
Who's this 'someone'? A major Republican donor, of course.