Before Waterfront Park or Concerts, Burg Must Get Rid of Gas

If you thought the proposal for a big underground power plant in Williamsburg that would be built by Transgas at the Bushwick Inlet was killed in 2006, you're wrong. If you thought it died in 2007, well, you're wrong again. The Power Plant with Nine Lives is still technically alive, and there is yet another hearing coming in Albany to determine its fate and that of the big waterfront park that would stretch from East River State Park to the north of the Bushwick Inlet. Yesterday, Daily Intel posted about a proposal made by Evan Thies, Council Member David Yassky's former aide who is running for his old boss's seat next year. Mr. Thies suggests that the city could clear some land on the 28-acre park site and use it for big outdoor concerts starting in 2009. Those following this saga know that this is the last year for concerts at McCarren Pool because it is being returned to use as pool. Everyone has promised to look for some waterfront land to stage concerts, but the trick is finding a spot where neighbors won't be upset and where the use conflict with other plans. The parcel proposed by Thies wasn't identified, but the only land we can identify that could be cleared in 18 months and used for shows is immediately north of East River State Park (and within listening distance of new condos like North8 on Kent Avenue). Unless some land in Greenpoint is being suggested.

Regardless, nothing can happen park-wise until the TransGas issue is settled once and for all, and to this end, the obscure State Siting Board is meeting on March 20 in Albany. In the meantime, the Open Space Alliance of North Brooklyn has an online email campaign to "Send a message to our state government in Albany to let them know that we demand a PARK not a POWER PLANT." The bottom rendering is one of the waterfront with gas. There is a proposal in Albany to take the land via eminent domain.

McCarren Pool Plans Renderings & Full Reveal

We finally got our hands yesterday on some high quality renderings of the Rogers Marvel plan for McCarren Pool in Greenpoint/Williamsburg and posted them on Curbed. (Full slide show below.) The renderings came with the caveat that they are "drafts" and the reminder that, of course, the Landmarks Preservation Commission has to sign off on any alterations to the landmarked structure. The renderings come in summer and winter versions, showing the pool version in the summer (along with the concrete peninsula that would jut into part of the pool) and the ice skating rink of the summer. There are also some diagrams below of what would be inside the existing buildings. It's worth noting that even though the pool would only cover about 70 percent of the old one, it would still be immense in size, given that the original was huge. About two-thirds of the pool would be a wading pool and one-third would be a deeper lap pool. In addition, the diving pool would be restored with a 12 1/2 foot diving platform added. Money has already been allocated for the jobs and the plan is to start work by the end of the year once all the approvals are in place. Jotham Sederstrom has a story on the new plan in today's Daily News.

GL Analysis
Having seen the pool deteriorate and make a superb photo of urban rot and having stood on the blazing concrete floor of the pool in summer and dreamed of water, we are, frankly, almost giddy that McCarren Pool will be a pool again. We will leave aside the discussion about motivations and demographics and won't get into specific details or things that could be tweaked. The pool will be an amenity for the entire community and will have a capacity of 1,400 people. That is a wonderful thing.

Will Williamsburg Get an Outdoor Venue After McCarren Pool?

There's another showing of the plans for McCarren Pool tonight (and, hopefully, the Parks Department and the architects will also soon release some high-quality renderings of its plans so that everyone in Brooklyn can see them).

As we noted last week, McCarren Pool is being returned to service as a pool, so the days of concerts there (except for some smaller performances, perhaps, in spring and fall) will come to an end after this summer. While surveys that were filled out about the pool showed support for concerts there in the future, there was strong support within the community itself for McCarren being turned back into a pool. Swimming and big concerts can be somewhat incompatible uses of a such a facility. The Parks Department believes that a disproportionate number were filled out at, well, concerts at the pool, overstating support for shows. In the words of a Parks Department official, "In interpreting the survey data, we did look at where the surveys were collected and from whom, demographically; since many surveys were completed at concerts and online, younger, more mobile and affluent folks were represented more than poorer, older ones."

Meanwhile, the Open Space Alliance and officials are looking for another place to hold big outdoor concerts in Williamsburg and/or Greenpoint. The most likely spot would seem to be connected to future waterfront parkland in or somewhere near the Bushwick Inlet Park, yet any park is likely to be years in the future as land acquisition could involve eminent domain, court fights and years of environmental cleanup, particularly the land where oil storage and production has taken place.

In any case, here's an email from Alexander Kane of JELLY NYC, which has produced the free concert series at McCarren Pool for the last two summers. It is circulating via the Pool Aid email list:

JELLYNYC is in FULL support of the renovation of the pool but does find the process a bit baffling with regards to how Parks and designers decided not to pay any attention to the surveys that were submitted. Our goal is and has always been to see the space renovated and turned into a functioning space that represents the needs and wants of the community. That having been said, we will be in attendance on Wednesday and what we and others will be bringing to the table is the need for their to be an alternative site for large scale concerts and other events to occur for summer 2009 - the waterfront, Bushwick Inlet. We are not asking for a bandshell or anything like that, a large concrete slab on the water is fine so long as it can accommodate 5,000+ people. The plans for the Bushwick Inlet, from what I have been told, were conceptualized by Parks in 2006, prior to the concerts and movies in the pool. These plans must be reconsidered and take into account the thousands of people who filled out surveys, and lived here long before the million dollar condos went up poolside. The area is predominantly non residential so it would be a perfect location for large scale events with amplified audio to occur frequently throughout the summer.

Some of the concert supporters may turn up at the Community Board meeting tonight, which will take place at 6:30 PM at the Swinging Sixties Seniors Center, which is located at 211 Ainslie St. (corner of Manhattan Ave.) The plans are not preliminary. They will be presented for formal community review when they are finalized. The plans must also go to the Landmarks Preservation Commission as the pool was landmarked last year.

McCarren Pool Plans Revealed: It Will Be a Huge Pool!

The rebuilt McCarren Pool will feature a huge swimming pool in summer and ice skating in winter, although this will be the last year for big concerts at the site. The details of the $50 million renovation were presented to a community meeting in Williamsburg. "I was very impressed at how sensitive they were to the historical aspect of the space," one person who has been involved in the redesign effort said.

We spent a lot of time yesterday trying to get our hands on renderings of the design put together for McCarren Pool by Rogers Marvel without any success because the Parks Department is declining to release them right now. So, all we can do until a photo of the plan surface or someone passes a rendering along is describe the plan. The new pool will be nearly 70 percent of the size of the old one, with the pool sort of wrapping around a concrete extension in a U-shape. What the architects called "the beach" will be surrounded by water on three sides. The designers apparently wanted to build a pool the same size as the vast one it would replace but were bound by cost constraints. The new pool would accommodate up to 1,700 people at a time. (The original was designed for 6,000 people by 1930s standard, but afforded very little personal space.) The diving pool, which was filled in, would be rebuilt and the long-term hope is that the wading pool would be recreated as well.

The entrance arch and kiosk would be restored. The building to the right of the entrance would be used for community spaces. The building to the left would workout facilities. The Parks Department would contract with an operator who would pay a fee to run an ice rink in winter. New changing facilities and rest rooms would be built. There might also be a cafe on the roof of the arch, if permission could be secured and funding for an elevator for access could be obtained. One thing that is missing from the new plan is a performance space, although the Parks Department indicated the space could be used during spring and fall when the pool and rink weren't in use.

In the meantime, the Open Space Alliance of North Brooklyn is looking into broadening programming at the pool this summer, including getting funding for a performance by the New York Philharmonic and some opera. The group is also exploring finding long-term space for large concerts elsewhere in Williamsburg. The most logical place would be somewhere on the waterfront, but such a venture would entail a lot of logistical issues. We received one email suggesting that the design "is poor master planning on the architects part" and that it "does not address future needs or purposes and will be obsolete by the time they’re finished." Most of the early reaction, however, was very positive. "It's pretty impressive," one observer said.

There will be another presentation about the plan to Community Board 1 on Wednesday, February 13th at 6:30PM. The meeting will take place at the Swinging Sixties Seniors Center, which is located at 211 Ainslie in Williamsburg.

[Please Note: the image above is not a rendering of the new design; it is something we created on a very hot day in the summer of 2006.]

Get Ready: Here Come the New McCarren Pool Plans

The plans for McCarren Pool are coming. They'll be discussed tonight at a meeting at 6:30 PM at The Lady of the Snow Society, which is located at 410 Graham Ave. (btwn Withers & Jackson Sts.). The Bloomberg Administration has committed $50 million for renovating the pool. The design is coming from Rogers & Marvel, which is part of the team that won the Governor's Island competition and is also the project architect at the controversial 340 Court Street building in Carroll Gardens. There will be concerts at the pool again this summer, but construction is expected to start at the end of this year on the landmarked structure. The work will be finished in 2011, according to the Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn. Results of the survey that was conducted about the pool have also been posted. In general terms, the survey found strong support for (surprise) reopening a pool and "within certain demographics" for concert and film programming. Here is some of the email making the rounds from the OSA:

The Parks Dept. and OSA value the cultural contribution provided by the film, dance and concert performances. We are also sensitive to the related noise complaints from neighboring residences, and we are seeking an accommodation for both perspectives. We are thoroughly examining all possible options, both temporary and permanent, to provide an appropriate location within the neighborhood for large-scale performances for 2009 and beyond.

In the meantime, pool construction will be bid out, and will start in late 2008. McCarren Park Pool will continue to be used as a performance venue during the summer of 2008. In addition to the concerts of the past years, OSA would like to encourage greater diversity of programming for the coming 2008 summer.

The group is trying to raise money for opera and classical concerts this summer and will be looking for another venue for large concerts in 2009. It is unknown whether Clear Channel will be the company producing concerts again. There will be a second presentation to Community Board 1 on Wednesday, February 13th at 6:30 PM at the Swinging Sixties Seniors Center, which is located at 211 Ainslie Avenue (btwn Graham & Manhattan). Any work at the pool must be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which landmarked the pool last year.

Take the McCarren Pool Survey

A survey to gauge sentiment about the future of McCarren Pool, which will be redesigned to include a working swimming pool, has been circulating for some time in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. It's also been posted online, and if you're interested in voicing your opinion about the pool's future and what it should include, you can click over and complete it. The three operative principles are that the bathhouse and entry arch must be preserved, there must be a pool and there must be year-round recreation. After that, things are more flexible.

TV on the Radio Do McCarren Pool, Water Included

[Photo courtesy of Jonny Leather/flickr & jonnyleather.com]
We ended up a little beaten down by yesterday's weather and skipped the TV on the Radio show at McCarren Pool, even though we were on the list to shoot it and we love the band. In any case, the pool had a bit more water than usual and the show sounds like it was superb. We've got a few flickr shots here and you can catch a bunch of them by clicking here.


[Photo courtesy of evaporated/flickr]

McCarren Pool Landmarked

Some good news out of the Landmarks Preservation Commission meeting yestreday. The LPC has finally landmarked McCarren Pool, capping an effort to save the closed WPA-era pool that began in the 1990s. This is a good thing both because protection of the pool is now official and because any modifications, as per renovations that the Parks Department is planning to make, will have to be approved by the LPC. (The Parks Department supported the landmarking.) You can also check out Brownstoner and TRE for more detail.

McCarren Pool Party: A Short Vid

Here's a short vid shot at this week's Pool Party at McCarren Pool that shows a bit of Illinois performing, plus people dancing to Dengue Fever and Man Man.

Man Man @ the McCarren Pool Party

Man Man played the McCarren Pool Party yesterday put on by Jelly NYC. It was, as always, a cool scene, though there is a much stepped-up corporate sponsorship presence this year and the entire effort is several levels above the kind of DIY thing it started out as last year. In any case, there's a slide show of our Man Man set below and we'll try to get our photos of Illinois and Dengue Fever up later. You can check out the Man Man flickr set directly by clicking here.

Designing the New McCarren Pool Tonight

It's worth noting that there's an important planning session in Williamsburg tonight about redesigning McCarren Pool. In the words of an email encouraging participation, "This is your opportunity to sit down with your neighbors and give your input to what the future McCarren Park Pool should be. The architect for the redesign will be chosen in the coming days and will be on hand for the charette."

The meeting is sponsored by Community Board #1, The Open Space Alliance (OSA), and the Parks Department. There are sessions at 5PM and at 7PM. It takes place at the Swinging 60's Senior Citizen Center, which is located at 211 Ainslie Street. The Park Department will summarize the schedule for the project and discuss the budget. There will be small discussion groups and "each table will have a large scale plan of the pool area, templates of an Olympic size pool, a multi-purpose building, tracing paper, markers, etc." The designs are supposed to provide swimming, year-round use and preserve and re-use existing buildings.

Everybody in the Pool: McCarren Design Session Coming Up

Ah, yes, McCarren Pool as a swimming pool. (The image above is a little something we created last summer when it was very, very hot.) Now that there's likely to be money in the city budget for returning McCarren Pool to its intended use, the process of figuring out how to do it is more than an academic exercise. There's a design charette for the pool on Wednsday (6/13). It's billed as "your opportunity to sit down with your neighbors and give your input to what the future McCarren Park Pool should be" The likely architect will be on hand. Here's some of the official release inviting people:

Community Board #1, The Open Space Alliance (OSA), and Parks & Recreation invite you to an open public design and planning charette for McCarren Park Pool improvements:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2007
5:00 PM & 7:00 PM (two sessions)
SWINGING 60'S SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER
211 AINSLIE STREET
(Corner of Manhattan Avenue)

Rather than simply responding to a design proposal, we invite you to participate in creating the design. Parks will give a summary of the schedule for the project, and discuss budget considerations. Audience participants will break into small groups, with each table hosted by two facilitators that are architectural professionals for assistance. Each table will have a large scale plan of the pool area, templates of an Olympic size pool, a multi-purpose building, tracing paper, markers, etc.

The charge for the evening will simply be that the designs must:

1) Provide swimming
2) Provide year-round use
3) Preserve and reuse the existing buildings

Other than that, everyone is free to dream (within budget constraints). Each table has 30 minutes to sketch and discuss --- then each table will be given 5 minutes to present their ideas to the room. The recommendations will be synthesized by the project architects and presented at a follow-up community meeting.

The Parks Department's accommodation of public participation over the last couple of years in planning the use of the pool has not been exactly overwhelming. It's refreshing to see the public invited for an important planning session.

Swim Meet: McCarren Pool Design Sessions in June

With the Bloomberg Administration committed to putting $50 million into renovating McCarren Pool and returning it (or part of it) to use as a pool, some public meetings will be coming up in June to "discuss the conceptual design of the complex." The sessions will be sponsored by the Park Department and Community Board 1. The meetings will take place on Wednesday, June 13 at 5:00PM and at 7:00 PM at the Swinging 60's Senior Citizen Center. Those of you that have never been need to know it's located at 211 Ainslie Street, which is at the corner of Manhattan Avenue in Williamsburg.

Related Post:
McCarren Pool Might be a Pool Sooner Than You Think

McCarren Pool Might Be a Pool Sooner Than You Think

Yesterday, we started to crack a joke about how McCarren Pool would become a swimming pool again around 2030. Boy, were we wrong. The Waterfront Preservation Alliance of Greenpoint and Williamsburg is reporting that money for recreating McCarren as a pool could be available sooner rather than later:

...the Mayor's FY2008 (begins July, 2007) budget includes $3.85 million for planning and design development. In addition, the City has promised $46.2 million in FY2010 (begins July, 2009) for the restoration of the pool. That means that honest-to-goodness planning could start as soon as this July, and that the construction budget would be part of Bloomberg's last budget.

Word from Community Board #1's District Manager Gerry Esposito is that the plan the City is working on is to rebuild the pool as an Olympic-sized pool. We'll reserve judgment on the plan itself until we see the details, and for now applaud the fact that the McCarren Pool might soon have water.

An Olympic-sized pool would only be about one-third of the size of the former pool, which already seems to be causing some handwringing in the neighborhood.

McCarren Pool to be Restored as a Pool?

We were amused to be thumbing through the Open Space section of the PlaNYC 2030 document and to find the following verbiage on Page Six:

Opened in 1936, then closed in 1984 due to the deterioration of its systems, McCarren Pool will finally be rebuilt as both an outdoor Olympic-size pool and a year-round recreation center serving the people of north Brooklyn.

No dates or details are given. Today's New York Times has a full story on all the unused spaces that would be rehabbed and returned to use if the money and political will are found. (The Times story has the work starting this summer and being finished in "a couple of years.")

McCarren Pool Update: Landmarking & Big Concerts

The news about the Cat Powers show at McCarren Pool on July 7 and what it may mean is down below. (Yeah, we're burying our lead.) Meanwhile, there's an interesting letter in the Greenpoint Star from the President of Independent Friends of McCarren Park dealing with the background of landmarking efforts. (The Landmarks Preservation Commission still hasn't acted on landmarking the historic pool.) We found it thanks to a link at the Waterfront Alliance of Greenpoint & Williamsburg's blog. The letter was published late last week and makes some interesting points. It says, in part:

In 1990, a hearing was held where then City Councilman Age Gerges, Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, and Congressman Steve Solarz all testified against landmarking. The Commission sat on the issue until now. In the interim, the local community board has reaffirmed its stance to demolish the pool and make it 75 percent smaller. The Parks Department is going along with this.

Independent Friends of McCarren Park, Inc., has opposed Community Board 1 on this question consistently over the years. Tax money was spent in April of 2001 on a Vollmer Associates plan that essentially rubber-stamped what the Parks Department wanted.

We believe the acceptance of the Vollmer plan is incompatible with the whole concept of landmarking. It would be the equivalent of landmarking Grand Central Station, and then allowing a condominium to be constructed in the middle of it.

The local community board has tried to bamboozle the community and public officials by stating it is in favor of an Olympic-sized pool, but fails to mention that an Olympic-sized pool is only one-quarter of the size of the current McCarren Pool. We believe that the Vollmer plan means destruction of McCarren Pool, not its restoration...We have always believed that the underlying motivation to reduce the size of the pool has been to discourage the chartered buses coming into Greenpoint from Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant. The vandalism and petty crime complained about in the last years of McCarren Pool’s operation was tolerated while the population was white, but when it changed to black and the management of the Parks Department became more indifferent, the fate of the poll was endangered.

Always fun when the subject comes to McCarren Pool. Speaking of the Parks Department, it continues to operate out of public view and without public notice about its decisions about programming at the pool. This might not be of interest in many case, but in the case of McCarren Pool, its decisions have sparked a variety of protests in the community. There are groups, for instance, that oppose turning the pool over to promoters such as Live Nation for big ticket concerts and others that oppose big concerts at the pool because of the noise and disruption for neighbors.

Case in point: It appears there will be some big concerts at the pool this summer. The Parks Department hasn't announced this, but word is slowly leaking out about shows. For instance, Cat Power will play on July 7. A check of the Live Nation website didn't reveal any shows posted yet, but it continues to list McCarren Pool as a concert venue. It is safe to assume that the Parks Department has once again turned over use of McCarren to a private concert promoter--Live Nation?--for some big summer shows.