Democracy now! Chinatown is up in arms after this weeks' hearing on the Chatham Square redesign. Folks did not take so well to Depart of Transportation announced that the so-called "public" hearing was not, in fact, public at all. The [Lower Manhattan Borough D.O.T. Commissioner] was met with audible anger -- "boos" and the like -- as he announced that the city was moving ahead with the project, rending the neighborhood effectively SOL. Do note that the years-old proposal has never undergone public review; the current scheme appeared online only last week. The city's $50 million plan will connect East Broadway to Worth Street, and the Bowery to Saint James Place; it also allows for a landscaped promenade along Park Row. Otherwise, a ramp will run between Park Row and One Police Plaza, connecting Chinatown to Chambers and a subway station to the Brooklyn Bridge. Residents are concerned that local businesses won't pull through an extended construction period, and that Park Row will be closed permanently. The city plans to move forward in the very near future, despite the Police Commissioners warning that a street running along police headquarters is a clear "security risk." Nice.
· Defying the shouts, city says full speed on Chatham Sq. [Downtown Express]
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