Battery Park turf war erupting over 'Site 26'.A contentious tract of prime real estate is at the heart of a dispute between Brookfield Financial Properties and the Battery Park City Authority The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority is a New York State public benefit corporation whose mission is to plan, create, co-ordinate and maintain a balanced community of commercial, residential, retail, and park space within its designated 92-acre site on the lower west side . At issue is an 89,000 SF plot in Battery Park City that both parties claim to have exclusive rights to develop. Though the turf war has been brewing for some time, it's now in the court's hands. Site 26, as it is known, is one of the largest and most crucial undeveloped tracts in lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York. Lower Manhattan is generally defined as the area delineated on the north by Chambers Street, on the west by the Hudson River (North at 89,000 SF. Reportedly, the tract could support a two million SF office building. It is located on West Street between Vesey and Murray Streets and next door to the Embassy Suites Hotel. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Carl Weisbrod, president of the Alliance for Downtown New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , a BID, the tract is "very important to the downtown area." "I really just hope that the dispute gets resolved quickly. I assume it will," says Weisbrod. Brookfield Financial Properties would not comment at length on the dispute, though their spokesman released the following statement: "We obtained certain rights affecting future commercial development at Battery Park City as a central part of the agreement to construct the World Financial Center. Brookfield continues to hold these rights and is confident that its position will be sustained through adjudication The legal process of resolving a dispute. The formal giving or pronouncing of a judgment or decree in a court proceeding; also the judgment or decision given. The entry of a decree by a court in respect to the parties in a case. ," read the statement. One source who asked not to be named claims that the issue is really about the view corridor American Express' headquarters would lose if Battery Park City developed the site. AMEX AMEX See: American Stock Exchange rents space in a Brookfield building at the World Financial Center. "From what I've seen, Brookfield doesn't want their view blocked. That's the real concern," says the source. Brookfield Financial Properties has been involved with Battery Park City for many years. After their predecessor Olympia & York -- who built the World Financial Center -- went bust, Brookfield took over their holdings. Brookfield now owns three buildings at the World Financial Center. "There's really no way to tell what's going on What's Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. here without seeing the original bid package. The only way to determine who has the rights here would be to look at the original agreement between the Battery Park City Authority and Brookfield Financial Properties," says Steven Ganfer, a partner at Ganfer & Shore, LLP LLP - Lower Layer Protocol . Despite the dearth of comments being offered by Brookfield, one thing is clear -- that the Battery Park City Authority owns the land and has the ground ease on the site. "It is my guess that Brookfield Financial's lease has a number of restrictions in it. They are, after all, subleasing from the Battery Park City Authority," says Steve Wagner For the ice hockey player, see: Steven Wagner Steven ("Steve") Wagner (born November 5, 1967 in Philadelphia) is a former field hockey goalkeeper from the United States, who finished twelfth with the men's national team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, , partner at Wagner, Davis & Gold, PC. Wagner was Battery Park City's outside council for several years up until recently. According to a published report, John Zuccotti, the chairman of Brookfield Financial Properties' U.S. branch, sent a letter to the Battery Park City Authority, claiming that his firm was about to start exclusive negotiations here. Zuccotti, who is in the words of one legal community source "extremely well connected politically," declined to comment. Both parties have filed papers in the lawsuit. The matter heads to court on March 9. Timothy S. Carey, the president of the Battery Park City Authority, said he was optimistic about receiving a favorable judgement that would allow him to issue an RFP (Request For Proposal) A document that invites a vendor to submit a bid for hardware, software and/or services. It may provide a general or very detailed specification of the system. 1. (business) RFP - Request for Proposal. 2. on the site as soon as possible. "Brookfield's theory is that they have the right to build on Site 26," said Carey. "But we reject that. Tomorrow we go before the judge." |
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