Senator Squadron Statement Regarding Today’s Lmdc Meeting

NEW YORK—State Senator Daniel Squadron released the following statement regarding today’s Lower Manhattan Development Corporation meeting:

“Today's meeting of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation makes clear that LMDC's work is far from completed. Just today, the board put forward an extensive list of worthy projects ready to be funded and completed over the next two years, across Lower Manhattan.

“Among these is Pier 42. A full build out of Pier 42 is critical to the continued revitalization of Lower Manhattan, providing more open space to the Lower East Side and Chinatown, and expanding our Harbor Park -- a central park for the center of our city.

“The Board today seemed to recommit to completing the Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center. The PAC was promised to our community, and it is imperative that promise be fulfilled. Completion of the PAC cannot be conditional. Working collaboratively to build a worthy Performing Arts Center is a critical promise made to the community by the city and the state. I look forward to working with LMDC and the PAC’s board to see it through to completion.

“No rebuilding of Lower Manhattan will be complete without meeting its extensive resiliency needs. The city, state, and federal governments have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to fortify Lower Manhattan from the next catastrophic storm, but gaps remain. Most significantly, protection between Montgomery Street and Battery Park City remains unfunded and is an urgent need. It is important to determine LMDC’s role in this resiliency effort.

“It is clear that LMDC still has resources and responsibilities, whether relating to the Bovis Settlement, other undrawn funds, or the undeveloped World Trade Center sites. LMDC should undertake this work expeditiously, but there is no doubt that the job is not yet done.”