The Howard Hughes Corporation was supposed to begin demolition of the current Pier 17 structure at the beginning of October, but one holdout tenant threw a wrench in their plans and it's now unclear when construction will actually start. But that did not stop the developer from hosting a ceremonial "groundbreaking" today, October 17 (see what they did there?). The event took place at the site of the Beekman Beer Garden, and to get there, guests were whisked by golf carts from South Street to the door of Pier 17?a thrilling 30 second ride?where a blue carpet led them through the mall and down a walkway lined with printed renderings of the future pier. After some self-congratulatory speeches and an over-the-top CGI video, the developers, architects, and city officials shoveled a pile of dirt that had been transported to the pier specifically for the show. They also released new renderings, so there was at least a sliver of news presented. We're still working on getting the video, but the renderings are posted after the jump.
During the conference, councilwoman Margaret Chin excitedly announced that the Howard Hughes Corporation agreed to support, in some unspecified way, the beleaguered South Street Seaport Museum, but, unfortunately, no one would elaborate on this because today was supposed to be all about Pier 17. We're investigating, so we will update once we have more information.
· Pier 17 coverage [Curbed]
· South Street Seaport [Howard Hughes]
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