Governors Island consensus reached?

A $370 million joint plan to turn Governors Island into a thriving multi-use mecca- featuring a central conference center along with cultural, educational, historical and museum components - was proposed last week by city and state officials.

The congenial announcement came after years of wrangling over exactly what should happen to the 172-acre former Coast Guard base that is being de-acquisitioned by the federal government.

Under the proposal, New York State and City would each contribute $15 million of the development costs. Private investment would pay for an additional $340 million in improvements to the buildings, which would be awarded under long-term leases after some sort of Request for Proposals process. About $40 million is expected to be taken in from these leases annually.

New York State intends to set up a new operating authority for the Island under the aegis of the Empire State Development Corporation. This entity would be responsible for the overall management of the Island, and coordinate its infrastructure and land development.

Eventually it would issue the RFPs designed to follow this master plan for divvying-up and leasing-out of the Island's many historic buildings and facilities, five of which are landmarked by New York City.

The hotel conference facility, for instance, is intended to be located in along, E-shaped structure known as Liggett Hall that formerly housed the Island's bachelor's quarters. This is the largest building on the Island and runs from east to west, separating the northern historic district from the southern ball-fields and more modern buildings, some of which will be razed to create a 50-acre park.

According to General Services Information, the 1930's-era barracks was the first Army structure to contain office, classroom and living space for an entire regiment and was rumored to have been constructed to prevent the Island from being leased as a "municipal" airport. Other officers quarters in this Nolan Park area would become part of the hotel and spa complex.

Two of the landmarked structures, Fort Jay and Castle Williams, are now expected to be operated by the National Park Service as tourist sites, an idea that had long been fought by the Feds but had been recommended by an earlier task force. The Castle Williams Stockade once held Walt Disney for being AWOL during World War I, and during World War II, Rocky Graziano did a stretch there for the same offense. A military history museum is expected to also be established in that area.

While the northern portion of the Island is a Federal National Historic District and designated by the City as a City Historic Landmark District, the southern portion of the Island would be developed into a 50-acre public park, and several of those buildings left standing would become tourist-oriented and house museums. One would focus on the ecology of the Hudson River and New York Harbor, and probably include a small aquarium.

An aquarium had initially been fought by Brooklyn Borough President Howard Gold-in over fears it would take visitors from the Brooklyn Aquarium. In reality, the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs The Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo and the Aquarium, could itself respond to the RFP and create this new museum.

Another tourist stop would be an historically themed family entertainment complex, similar to an attraction at Colonial Williamsburg, which would relate history in an entertaining way.

Local universities are expected to share new football and soccer ballfields and perhaps some of the other buildings.

There would also be room for artists' studios and a sculpture garden.

The current waterfront promenade would be upgraded and encircle the entire Island, which is accessible only by ferry.

Robert Pirani, director of environmental programs for the Regional Plan Association (RPA, which has advocated a similar fate for the Island, said "It will become a major civic and cultural center for New York Harbor."

"It's a very good and appropriate use, but I won't be a bidder," said Donald J. Trump, the developer who once flirted with building skyscrapers there.

There are still many "ifs" and a trail of mini-RFP's ahead before the first tourist sets foot on the Island.

While New York City ceded the property to the Federal government almost exactly 200 years ago on February 15, 1800, it had been used since 1624 as a fort, and officially purchased by the Dutch Governor of New Netherlands in 1637 from the Manahatas Indians for "two ax heads, a string of beads and a few nails."

The Island's size was nearly doubled to its current 172 acres above water and 32 submerged acres in 1901 during the construction of the Lexington Avenue -Subway, when a seawall was created and nearly 5 million cubic yards of dirt was added to the original 90.

The Feds placed a $500 million pricetag on the isolated island for accounting purposes and included that figure when the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 was passed, but Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan had obtained an offer from President Bill Clinton in 1995 to turn it over for $1 if the city and state could agree on a plan.

The President has now sent a letter to Senator Moynihan stating he was "encouraged" to learn of the city and state agreement, and expressing his intent to work with "you and New York officials on the necessary details" of the transfer, but did not reiterate the $1 offer.

Bills are expected to be introduced in Congress by Rep. Jerrold Nadler and Moynihan that would propose just that, although they fear some dissent from other states.

New York City carries the Island as one Manhattan tax lot in Class 4. For the 99/00 roll, its fair market value was calculated as $187 million. For property assessment purposes, this was based on what is known as an "actual value" of $84.5 million. Its "transitional value" is the same, and by virtue of its Federal ownership, the Island is fully exempt from New York City property taxes, which would otherwise amount to just over $8 million per year.

That is expected to remain the same, but any operator of a for-profit facility would probably be expected to make a payment in lieu of taxes for its use of a facility, and that would be negotiated as part of the RFP process.

Senator Moynihan has been a driving force in securing the Island for local control, but was said to be ill and did not attend the news conference.

Governor George Pataki and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani appointed separate task forces that worked for the last year before coming to a consensus and announcing last week's proposal.

The Governor's task force members were Empire State Development Chairman Charles Gargano; NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner John Cahill; James Gill, chairman of the Battery Park City Authority; NYS Department of Transportation Commissioner Alexander Treadwell; and Department of General Services Commissioner Joseph Seymour.

Mayor Giuliani's Task Force included Deputy Mayor Randy Levine, who chaired the group; Congressman Jerrold Nadler; Congresswoman Caroline Maloney; Sen. Moynihan's chieg of staff, Tony Bullock: Assemblyman Sheldon Silver; Council Member Kathryn Freed; and Regional Plan Association, Community Board One and the Municipal Art Society President Kent Barwick.

Public meetings and comments were taken and the group "winnowed them down to the practical, affordable ideas," said Barwick.

There is no sign of gambling parlors, amusement parks or the large-scale residential development previously floated for the former military installation.

Instead, the plan seeks to continue its small scale, low-density character with a mixture of private enterprises serving conference attendees and tourists that center on day visitors, hotel usage, non-profit museums, the arts, and entertaining educational facilities.

Various programs were thought about by the task forces and scrapped. Tivoli Gardens amusement park, for instance, would have required digging canals and created mountains of dirt.

"It didn't seem appropriate," said Barwick.

There was a desire for housing, but no housing developers came forward. Other proposals, he said, weren't attached to serious investors.

A conference center was proposed by Corcoran Jennison, which has built similar facilities in Massachusetts. That group has created "serious" plans, but any development would have to be awarded after an RFP process.

There were also expressions of interest by cultural centers, including the Guggenheim Museum.

Both NYU and Columbia had expressed interest in some of the older, outdated buildings to be used as dormitories and faculty housing, but the task force felt those buildings were not up to code and were sited around the open ballfields, obstructing the best views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.

"There was a strong feeling that the south end had wonderful open space," said Barwick. "We all know we need parkland and ballfields, and NYU and Columbia both want to use the athletic facilities."

While Manhattan is the legal entity under which Governor's Island falls, Brooklynites cared about the Island's fate and how it would affect their borough.

"The people from Red Hook came, and they wanted to be assured that Red Hook would not become the garbage can and parking lot for the Island," Barwick said. "There ought to be a lot more ferry service [to Governor's Island], and as part of devising the ferry service, a broader look should be taken at expanding that to Red Hook and Fulton Landing. We see a wonderful future for Red Hook."

Additionally, with reliable ferry service, Red Hook residents would be able to secure quick commuting jobs on the Island for positions with the tourist facilities, hotel, restaurants and museums, for instance.

The architectural firm Beyer Blinder Belle has been employed as an advisor to the Federal General Services Administration, which has been charged with the recent operations at the Island and its eventual disposal.

Project Director Crystal Barriscale, AIA/AICP, said of the new plan, "The good news is that they have agreed to a fairly significant park. The fear is that the compromise they made to agree won't lead to a compromise plan. There needs to be a vision, and there are many, many elements, and they haven't released a design," Barnscale continued. "They have to go back to Washington and get approval, and set up this new authority. It's a long way away."

Agreed Pirani, "The elected leadership is now rallying, and the clear imperative is for the group to hang together and get control of the Island so the bipartisan spirit can be.