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Developer Behind Planned WaHi Skyscraper Gives Peek at New Park

By Carla Zanoni | May 9, 2011 6:16pm | Updated on May 10, 2011 7:07am

By Carla Zanoni

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — A developer behind a controversial plan to build skyscrapers in Washington Heights has released its proposed changes to the small city park that abuts the space.

Quadriad Realty Partners drew up two possible draft proposals for Gorman Park at West 190th Street and Broadway — one that would have the developer build two towers within existing zoning laws and leave the green space as is, the other that would completely renovate the park in exchange for permission to build towers taller than the current land use laws allow.

The proposals were presented to Community Board 12's Parks and Cultural Affairs committee last week.

In one of the company's two proposals, dubbed "New Strategy," the developer would build four towers — three on the east side of Broadway ranging from 33 to 27 stories apiece, and one 28-story tower on the west side.

Quadridad would pay to completely reconstruct Gorman Park, which the developer described as being in "poor condition."

Developers would re-grade the park's steep incline — which currently stands at more than 100 feet — using several terraces from Broadway at the western end of the park to Wadsworth Terrace to the east.

The preliminary sketches also propose extending the park into the area directly beneath the Quadriad towers, making the park accessible to people with mobility issues, increasing benches throughout all areas of the park and providing security and maintenance for the park "in perpetuity." Celebrated landscape architect Diana Bolmori would spearhead the design of the park.

Quadriad chair Henry Wollman urged the committee to view the drawings as "doodles," rather than cemented ideas for the park.

As it stands now, the park is used more as a walkway with a snakelike path bridging the two separated parts of the park.

"There is no basic recreation area that people can use," Wollman said. "We would like to try to create a flat area for mixed use, a larger open space and open landscape."

Wollman said the proposed buildings were capped at 37 stories instead of 42 stories in response to an outpouring of negative community reaction over the developer's first proposal.

Quadriad also offered an alternative plan in which they'd build two towers of 22 and 28 stories each on the east and west sides of Broadway as currently allowed under zoning and land use restrictions. The developer would not change Gorman Park under that design.

Zead Ramadan, former CB12 chair and current member, said he was in favor of "leveling off" Gorman Park, adding that it was the most important step toward better utilizing the space, which he called one of the "least traversed parks in all of Northern Manhattan."

Quadriad has proposed adding elevators and escalators to the area as well as rebuilding the quarter-mile tunnel that leads straphangers from Broadway into the 190th Street subway station, which sits between the park and development on the east side of Broadway. A public plaza that would adjoin the towers, subway exit and park was also included in the design.


Response to the new plan was limited last week, but the community continued to voice concerns about the impact of large-scale skyscrapers in the community, with concerns ranging from shadows cast from the towers to strain on community infrastructure.

"I'm envisioning masses of people flooding the park and changing the experience of the park," one woman attending the meeting said about the proposed changes to the park.

"If you put up a large building, it will definitely affect the experience of people in the park," said Elizabeth Lorris Ritter, chair of the board's parks committee, calling for more information about the buildings' impact on the surrounding area.

Quadriad agreed to return to the parks committee on June 7 to further present its proposed plans and answer outstanding questions regarding community impact.

Quadriad is also scheduled to make another presentation before the CB12 Land Use committee on June 1 as well as a presentation to the board's housing committee on June 2.

All meetings will be held at the board's offices at 711 W. 168th Street on each date at 7 p.m.