Pier 40, which juts into the Hudson at the far west end of Houston Street, currently serves as community soccer fields and community parking garage. Back in December, you may recall, four proposals to redevelop the aging pier were tossed into the ring; two emerged to fight another day. Did the proposal that featured Cirque du Soleil as part of one plan make it to the next round? Do you even need to ask? We've still got Cirque, as part of the Related Companies' Pier 40 PAC plan (above right). Plus a much more boring plan called the People's Pier that we'd summarize here if we could summon the energy. (We can't.)
Next week, the two plans go heads-up, with the Hudson River Park Trust serving as dealer. Naturally, the community is out in force, tagging the Related proposal with the supposed put-down of Vegas on the Hudson. If that's supposed to deter our interest in that plan, it's having the opposite effect. Vegas, baby, Vegas. Easiest urban planning decision ever.
· Battle of Pier 40 Heats Up [NYSun]
· Pier 40: Save Our Park! [pier40.org]
· Pier 40 Update: Circus Freaks or, Like, Soccer [Curbed]