Friday, August 17, 2007

NY Post extoll the glories of parking on ruins of Abolitionist homes

The NY Post praises the wonderful new park which the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) would create by destroying the Duffield Abolitionist homes. See DOUBLE 'PARK'ING: B'KLYN TO GET REC SPACE WITH CAR GARAGE.

The article fails to mention the controversy over the potential Underground Railroad site. The Post also bends over backwards trying to make the small park that Bloomberg wants to build sound important. The Post compares it to Bryant Park, which is more than six times larger than Bloomberg's glorious new grassy knoll.

Here is a sample of the rhetoric:
"What we're trying to do is create a dynamic downtown, and this would be a miniature version of Bryant Park that, like Bryant Park, could offer concerts, films and displays of public art," said Joseph Chan, president of the city's Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.
The residents of Duffield Street have already turned their homes into a cultural attraction. The buildings are open for public tours on Sunday afternoons. There have been a few performances at 227 Duffield Street... but it looks like Joe Chan missed those.

It should also be noted that while providing amenities to drivers may be very important, the EDC has been tearing down parking lots to build housing, though on Duffield Street, they are tearing down someone else's homes to build parking.