Battery Park City Authority President Out

On Aug. 16, ten months after being appointed by Gov. Cuomo as president and Chief Operating Officer of the Battery Park City Authority, Demetrios Boutris abruptly handed in his resignation.

The authority has appointed Chief Financial Officer Robert Serpico as interim president and C.O.O.

A spokesperson for the authority did not give a reason for Boutris' departure, but a letter sent by authority chairman and CEO Dennis Mehiel announcing the change said, "We wish him all the best in his future endeavors and thank him for his service to the Authority."

The spokesperson said that Boutris' resignation will not affect the authority's imminent $300 million bond offering, which was approved by the state's Public Authorities Control Board on Aug. 21. The offering must still be approved by the mayor's office and city comptroller.

In his resignation letter to Mehiel, Boutris said, "I am particularly thankful to have been part of the team that you ably led through last year's Super Storm Sandy and the subsequent recovery efforts of Battery Park City where you delivered three damaged projects in record time by June, 2013: the Community/Asphalt Green Center, the Community Ballfields Complex, and Historic Pier A."

The state authority is tasked with planning, coordinating and maintaining all residential, commercial and park space in the 92-acre park on the Lower West Side.