The development of the land along the Hudson River, from West 59th Street to West 72nd Street, once known as Penn Yards, is a four-decades- long story with plot twists and turns and a cast of characters worthy of a television mini-series. The players included developers, celebrities, community leaders, elected officials and neighborhood residents who battled and compromised and eventually came to agreement on final proposals. Ethel Sheffer, who has served as a Commissioner on the NYC Public Design Commission and was involved in the evolution of the development from its beginning in 1980 to its final approvals in 2010, will give the audience a historical overview, illustrated by images that she has collected over the years. She will also address some of the most important questions that face New Yorkers about the future of the city: questions about who should be doing the planning, what role the private and public sectors should play in that planning, etc.
New York City, NY; NYC