“Architecturally,” said Blodgett, “it’s one of the best.”

“A lot of the Village is gone,” he added. “A lot is left, but if it’s not preserved, a lot more will be gone.” At this he indicates a nearby hole in the scenery where a building was destroyed six years ago by developers who are still undecided on how to proceed.

Blodgett is but one of many community members who worries that the impending rezoning of Hudson Square, which has yet to be voted on by the City Council, will have negative fallout for surrounding areas, as well as the Hudson Square area itself, without the necessary safeguards. Blodgett fears further destruction for the nearby South Village. There’s no doubt the Hudson Square rezoning will happen, he says, but as far as the particular repercussions, everyone’s unsure and wary of what to expect.

The plan to rezone Hudson Square into a more “mixed use” area was discussed at the only City Council hearing on the issue last week, after passing the City Planning Commission in late January. A study issued by the Department of City Planning in 2002 recommended rezoning the area for optimal residential use, retention of current manufacturing zoning and in order to guide future growth and land use in the area. The rezoning plan, which would impact City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s district, has seen backlash by groups like the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), which fears the subsequent impact on the South Village.

Some worry development in the area will be out of context with Hudson Square’s character, while developers meanwhile stress the importance of taller buildings for greater affordability and insist contextual appropriateness is still achievable. David Reck, the former chairperson of Community Board No. 2’s Land Use Committee told The Villager, however, residents of Hudson Square are overwhelmingly in favor of the rezoning.

Those in favor of rezoning say it brings promise of more affordable housing and open, recreational areas. Trinity Real Estate, which owns 40 percent of property in the area according to the Wall Street Journal, says the rezoning efforts would transform the area from what is essentially a deserted ghost town at night into a more livable and popular social hub. On its official website, Trinity explains: “The neighborhood’s continued evolution is threatened by its antiquated zoning…Trinity and its neighbors can protect the neighborhood’s historic character while helping it evolve into a unique and vibrant community.”

Community members and advocates for the preservation of the South Village fear the rezoning of Hudson Square will bring spillover and ambitious developers to the Village, which has not been transformed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). They urge the Council not to approve the rezoning until the South Village has been appropriately transformed. The city is stalling on the decision, say GVSHP representatives, because of pressure from both sides. Many residents and community members want to preserve the Village’s aesthetic and history, while developers see it, like Hudson Square, as an ideal market, ripe for rebuilding.

Blodgett says Speaker Quinn, who did not make an appearance at the City Council hearing, has been all but unresponsive on the issue.

While the LPC has stalled on landmarking the area for years, advocates hope the rezoning plan will perhaps serve as a catalyst to keep the Village intact.

However, Blodgett describes a paradox. Those who visit and live in the Village appreciate it for its character, but this popularity is what drives developers to the area, he explains.

“It’s sad to imagine,” he said, of an area he knows as a historic gem. “It could be destroyed.”

The City Council will cast its vote on the rezoning in March.

Garodnick addressed these issues, among several others, in a letter he wrote to CWCapital, the “special servicer” responsible for maintaining the property.

He explains the patience he once had “has now reached its end, as thousands of residents have been without basic services for almost three months—with no explanation from CWCapital about the timeframe for their restoration, or any commitment to give further abatements for a diminution of necessary services.” Such necessary services currently not working include intercoms, laundry machines and a complete elevator service.

“Residents living in buildings with diminished service should be entitled to pay less rent,” Garodnick said in the letter. No word on a response yet from CWCapital.

South Village Reacts to Hudson Square Rezoning
Last week, the City Planning Commission sent the application for the proposed Hudson Square rezoning to the City Council in hopes of getting a majority vote of approval for enactment. While some City Council members see the proposed rezoning as an opportunity to expand on residential development in Hudson Square, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation is hoping to use this opportunity to push for the historic designation of the South Village.

In a letter written to Speaker Christine Quinn, the GVSHP, along with various community groups, asked her to reject the proposed rezoning unless the adjacent proposed South Village Historic District is designated a landmark by the city.

“We hope that you will use your considerable leverage to get the City to act,” the letter reads. “But if the City refuses to landmark the South Village, we urge you not to approve the Hudson Square rezoning, given the profound impact it would have in accelerating the destruction of this fragile, historic area.”

This would not be the first time landmark designation concessions have been implemented. This was the case with both the West Chelsea Historic District with the West Chelsea rezoning and the Prospect Heights Historic District with the Atlantic Yards rezoning. Deemed landmark-eligible four years ago by New York state, the South Village has been waiting ever since for designation.

“The fate of the South Village is now in Speaker Quinn’s hands,” said executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Andrew Berman. “She will determine if this beloved, endangered New York neighborhood receives the protections it needs, or if its ongoing destruction will be accelerated by an enormous rezoning on its doorstep.”

Bike Safety for All
The Department of Transportation, SaferHood and Delivery.com have teamed up for a joint safety initiative designed to increase bicycle safety in the city.

Most recently, DOT and Delivery.com joined forces to provide 1,500 commercial cyclists with free bike lights, bells, and retro-reflective vests. Delivery cyclists from all over the city can attend one of the multi-language commercial bicyclist forums to receive the safety equipment.

These forums, which have been held from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side, are designed to educate, equip and answer questions about bicycle safety laws. Other bicycle safety efforts include NYPD enforcement and inspector visits to businesses that use delivery cyclists. These inspectors serve to both inform and oversee the legal regulations such businesses are required to follow.

DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said of the new efforts, “Safety is everyone’s business, so it’s significant when the private sector steps up to the plate to make changes in the public interest.”
“In a city where food, groceries and wine can be at your doorstep in moments, we empower the neighborhood economy by equipping our merchant partners with the right tools for making safe and speedy deliveries,” said Jed Kleckner, CEO of Delivery.com.

These efforts have already seen some positive results, fostering high hopes for the revised administrative procedures regarding bicycle safety that will be enforced this coming April.

Compiled by Jessica Mastronardi