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Maikish announces LMCCC's new campaign
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The makeover of one of downtown's most-traveled thoroughfares was celebrated July 5th in Battery Park City as the New York State Department of Transportation (SDOT) wrapped up the Promenade South project. The $70 million project was completed in just 18 months, bringing a tree-lined promenade, safer crosswalks, and rehabilitated Battery Park Underpass to West Street (Route 9A) from West Thames Street to the Battery.
The beautification project is the first phase of the "West Street Promenade," which will extend north to Chambers Street. Work on the upper section is expected to begin in spring 2007 and will bring a wide, shaded walkway to both sides of West Street. In addition to serving as a recreational and retail destination, the promenade will help accommodate the millions of visitors expected at the rebuilt World Trade Center.
To mark Promenade South's opening, Governor George Pataki, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) Executive Director Charlie Maikish, SDOT Commissioner Thomas Madison Jr., and other officials spoke and cut a ceremonial ribbon at the site.
"This magnificent landscaped walkway with enhanced open and green space and new piazza is a place where New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world can enjoy walking, biking, and relaxing within steps of the World Trade Center site and Battery Park City," Pataki said. "It also greatly improves the conditions for pedestrians and for motorists traveling on and across West Street, better connecting Lower Manhattan's neighborhoods."
Bloomberg said, "Back in early 2002, when West Street was still closed to traffic, nobody could have imagined how quickly Lower Manhattan would spring back. But working together with our partners at the state and the community, we're well on our way to realizing our bold vision for Lower Manhattan -- one that involves not only rebuilding, but transforming this area into a mixed-use community for the future."
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| Governor Pataki congratulates workers at Promenade South |
The governor and mayor also unveiled the LMCCC's new communications campaign, "This is 2010…It's Happening Now." The campaign consists of on-site signs to explain construction projects, a redesigned www.lowermanhattan.info website, city-wide advertising, and a virtual tour of Lower Manhattan available on the website and to area businesses and public agencies for promotional and informational use.
"The Command Center's new communications campaign has its focus in the right place -- on the bright future that is already seeing tangible progress in Lower Manhattan," Pataki said. "As we move forward with the redevelopment, it is critical that we remind visitors and the residential and business communities of the vision for Lower Manhattan -- a vibrant mixed-use 24/7 community, and the new campaign accomplishes that goal."
In December 2005, the LMCCC awarded a $1.16 million contract to Edelman Worldwide to create and execute a communications campaign about downtown construction projects, including redesigning the www.lowermanhattan.info website it launched in September 2002.
The site offers descriptions of more than 40 projects currently underway or recently finished south of Canal Street, along with timelines and contact information. Advisories about upcoming work, regular email updates, and an up-to-date list of downtown events also are on the site, along with daily air-monitoring reports.
Also debuting on the site is the Lower Manhattan 2010 animated video, to provide a glimpse of downtown's future landscape. The video is part of the "Envisioning the Future" section, which also hosts animations, slide shows, and other visualizations.
"Telling people what's going to happen, when it's going to happen, and for how long is essential to mitigating the impact of construction on those who live, work, or play in Lower Manhattan," Maikish said. "We needed to give them the ability to visualize the bright future ahead for Lower Manhattan that has already begun to take shape."
The campaign is funded by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration, and its information is sourced from public and private organizations including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the New York City Department of Transportation, the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, the Alliance for Downtown New York, Community Board 1, Silverstein Properties, and others.
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