By Matt Chaban 12/06/12 11:21am

Machers

Mr. Flood. (MTA/Flickr)

Joe Lhota Calls Bill Rudin “an Exemplary Leader”

It’s beginning to feel a bit like the letters section of the New York Review of Books around here.

Yesterday morning, The Observer published a post highlighting another outlet’s revelation that developer and civic leader Bill Rudin was somewhat pleased that the Hugh Carey Brooklyn Battery Tunnel had flooded, thereby protecting some of his buildings downtown. (Some experts agree that the tunnels should actually be designed to do exactly that.)

Unexpectedly, Mr. Rudin’s office sent a statement from him to The Observer in the afternoon, speaking generally about the need to plan for the future, but not directly addressing the issue of the tunnel or MTA Chief Joe Lhota, who had told Capital New York, “I wasn’t particularly pleased with the comment.” Now, unbidden, The Observer has received a statement from Mr. Lhota that praises Mr. Rudin. Read More

By Matt Chaban 12/05/12 5:15pm

recovery mode

Think about it. (Blogspot)

Bill Rudin Wants to Consider ‘A Variety of Options’ for Protecting the City from the Next Disaster

Earlier today, we ran a post about how Bill Rudin rather pragmatically welcomed the flooding of the Brooklyn Batter Tunnel, for it provided a modicum of protection to some of his buildings downtown that might otherwise have been flooded. This afternoon, we found a statement in our inbox from Mr. Rudin that seemed to indicate—as we had in the original piece—that floodable tunnels and other innovative flood control measures might not actually be the worst idea. The Observer asked a Rudin spokesperson for more context on the statement, but this is all we’ve got. Read More

By Matt Chaban 12/05/12 12:20pm

recovery mode

A good flood? (Getty)

Bill Rudin Is Grateful the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel Flooded—and Maybe You Should Be, Too

Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc across the city, including Lower Manhattan, where flooding into tunnels shut down both subway and vehicular traffic for weeks. In a story looking at flooding in the Hugh Carey Brooklyn-Battery tunnel, Dana Rubinstein reveals that none other than developer, macher and civic bigwig Bill Rudin actually welcomed the flooding because it protected some of his harborside buildings. Read More

By Matt Chaban 6/27/12 11:00am

Best Laid Plans

Picture 8

Faulty Towers: Midtown Needs a Makeover, with Twice as Tall Towers, But Can Mayor Bloomberg Get It Right?

It was but one line in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s State of the City address in January, but it could prove to be one of the biggest of his dozen years in office.

“In the area around Grand Central, we’ll work with the City Council on a package of regulatory changes and incentives that will attract new investment, new companies and new jobs,” the mayor said from the stage inside Morris High School in the Bronx.

Hizzoner spent more time talking about Cornell’s Roosevelt Island tech campus, keeping the Hunt’s Point Produce Market from moving across the Hudson to Jersey and efforts to further expand the blue-collar workforce on the waterfront. Even the redevelopment of nearby East Fordham Road and Webster Avenue got equal billing with these vague pronouncements about “the area around Grand Central.”

Despite the scant mention, it turns out that for an administration that has never shied away from big plans, this may be one of the biggest projects yet. Read More

By Elise Knutsen 1/30/12 10:48am

It Takes a Village

"Infinite Forest" by design team at Studio A+i

A Forest Grows in the Village: Studio a+i’s AIDS Memorial Design Selected

With all the negative attention surrounding Rudin Managment’s plan to turn the old St. Vincent’s hospital into condos, there has been one piece about which people have been genuinely excited—even if it is not officially part of the plan: a new AIDS Memorial Park proposed for a triangle of land at the corner of 7th Avenue and 12th Street.

Today, the AIDS Memorial Park Design Competition jury announced the contest winner and selected a local design team from 475 submissions from around the world. The Brooklyn-based crew,  studio a+i, proposed a design called “infinite forest.” Stands of trees are set against polished surfaces reflecting the “forest” on-and-on as well as those inside. It creates a space of quiet contemplation that hides the busy city beyond. Read More

By Elise Knutsen 1/24/12 4:12pm

It Takes a Village

Sacred ground. (Architizer)

Is the West Village AIDS Memorial a Done Deal?

It’s official—well, almost—the West Village will be getting an AIDS memorial. After opening the design competition in November, the AIDS Memorial Park received 475 entries from architects, designers and gardeners the world over. The winner will be announced next Monday, and will receive a $5,000 prize.

The timing is appropriate, given that yesterday Bill Rudin’s development at St. Vincent’s received unanimous approval by the City Planning Commission. Several of the commissioners made mention of the AIDS memorial, including Chair Amande Burden, and stressed their desire to see a memorial included. Read More

By Elise Knutsen 1/23/12 4:18pm

Critical Condition

All smiles.

Rudin’s St. Vincent Project Gets Green Light from Planning Commission

Earlier this afternoon, a die-hard group of developers, activists and real estate enthusiasts gathered at the New York Department of City Planning for a much anticipated meeting. In a brief meeting, the controversial Rudin development project at the former site of St. Vincent’s Hospital passed with unanimous support from all City Planning commissioners.

Commission Chair Amanda Burden explained that she was pleased with how the developers had worked with the community. “The Rudin West Village proposal represents an important step in incorporating the former St. Vincent’s campus into the fabric of the West Village,” Ms. Burden said. Read More

By Laura Kusisto 6/16/11 1:59pm

lease beat

Haven't seen this face in a while.

Bill Rudin Gets Some Talent at 41 Madison

Nothing takes us back to that halcyon year of 1996 as does seeing the likes of Michael Ondaatje and Drew Carey in the same paragraph. In a delightful blast from the not-so-distant past, the stars’ respective talent agencies have renewed at the Rudin family’s 41 Madison Avenue.

The Gersh Agency, who, in addition to a svelter Read More