Having withdrawn its plans to build a 42-story residential tower with a school at the bottom on the site of the South Street Seaport's New Market Building (the one that says "Fulton Fish Market" on the front), the Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC) apparently had another idea. DNAinfo reports that documents show the company submitted a draft plan to the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYC EDC) for a 10-story, 185-room hotel at the site. The document was released by Friends of the South Street Seaport, which has been fighting HHC's plans to remake the Seaport.
HHC's Chris Curry, the vice president who has been the face of their Seaport efforts, told a recent Community Board 1 meeting that they are not going forward with that plan. "[It] doesn't mean anything to you today," he said "…at this point, that is not the plan." What is HHC looking to do with the site? At this point, they say they are looking to do a short commercial project.
The New Market Building site sits just to the north of the beginning of Pier 17. It is not an individual landmark and is outside the South Street Seaport Historic District. Activists wish it would be preserved. HHC has said at many meetings that the building and its supports are structurally unsound and need to be demolished.
Update (1/24/2016 8:00 a.m.): HHC's Chris Curry sent Curbed NY the following statement: "The Howard Hughes Corporation remains steadfast in our commitment to the revitalization of the Seaport District, making it once again one of New York's premier destinations and a much needed community anchor for Lower Manhattan. We're pleased to have the Community Board's support on our plans to reconstruct the historic Tin Building into a 21st century center for food and commerce at the Seaport in keeping with the neighborhood's rich history. We continue to explore a revised mixed-use development plan taking into account feedback from the community and elected officials."
· Seaport Developer May Be Planning Hotel on Disputed Site, Documents Show [DNAinfo]
· Mapping New York's 10 Biggest Preservation Battles of 2015 [Curbed]
· City Says Historic Seaport Buildings in Danger of Collapsing [Curbed]
· All South Street Seaport coverage [Curbed]
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