[Rendering via NYCEDC]
Tomorrow (Wednesday) night, there's a joint meeting between two Community Board 3 committees to hear an update from the city on the "proposed workforce development and digital skills training center" at 124 E. 14th St.
This is the so-called tech hub at the city-owned site that P.C. Richard currently leases on 14th Street at Irving Place.
Last February, the de Blasio administration unveiled the renderings for Civic Hall featuring "a tech-focused work and event space" that will anchor the 20-plus story building.
Per the city's news release on Civic Hall:
“This new hub will be the front-door for tech in New York City. People searching for jobs, training or the resources to start a company will have a place to come to connect and get support. No other city in the nation has anything like it. It represents this City’s commitment to a strong and inclusive tech ecosystem,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
As you may recall, this announcement prompted another push by local residents who fear that the fabric of the neighborhood will be destroyed by a host of new developments south of Union Square along Broadway, University Place and Fourth Avenue. (And not to mention the Moxy hotel coming to 11th Street.)
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) has been leading the efforts behind a rezoning of the area to enforce some height restrictions and affordable housing requirements. The GVSHP lays out their case here.
The tech-hub project needs Planning Commission and City Council approval.
Tomorrow's meeting of the Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee and Economic Development Committee starts at 6:30 p.m. This is listed as the first item to be discussed. The meeting takes place at the University Settlement, Speyer Hall, 184 Eldridge St. between Rivington and Delancey.
For more background, NY1 covered the story on Saturday here.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Behold Civic Hall, the high-tech future of Union Square — and NYC
Speaking out against a 'Silicon Alley' in this neighborhood
8 comments:
So basically this "hub" will just be a glorified hangout that will produce no real stable jobs. GTFO de Faustio.
Tech has become a cancer on normality, common sense and daily routines.
Why do they keep holding these meetings about 14th Street in places like Eldridge Street and other LES locations that not convenient to local residents actually IN the "tech hub" area??
No other city in the nation has anything like it. THERE IS A REASON FOR THAT!!!
who wants this beside the mayor?
and you can be sure that the proposed rezoning to "protect" anything will help destroy what little is left of the interesting corridor that used to exist here.
Be assured, whatever CB3 does, it will be wrong and without regard to the community it is supposed to represent.
This is a Trojan Horse for rezoning. While the Mayor tries to dazzle the hood with Tech-speak and jobs, builders are salivating over the prospects of destroying the neighborhood. WHERE IS OUR NEW COUNCIL PERSON!? SHOW UP AND FIGHT!
There's already a brand new tech campus on Roosevelt Island dreamed up by Mike Bloomberg. Why not incorporate it into that?
Gross. 14th Street is already lame.
'Sad to say but the most interesting thing on 14th Street is Taco Bell cuz it's just a snapshot of real NYC.
The city changes, get used to it. Everyone here complaining about tech on a blog hosted by Google using their Apple laptops or their Samsung phones. What "character" does PC Richards add to the neighborhood? Really. Washing machines and appliances are worth fighting over?
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