By Harrison Golden
When architect Ju-Hyun Kim moved to Manhattan
ten years ago, the skyscrapers, parks, shops, and bodies of water left him in
awe. But there was one feature the city was missing – a mountain.
Kim, born and raised in Seoul, used to spend
his time hiking, skiing, biking, and picnicking from atop some of his native city’s
highest peaks. Now, in his new home city, he hopes to bring an artificial
mountain to the Lower East Side.
The proposal, tentatively
called Manhattan Mountain, features a series of big-box stores, including Ikea,
Target, and Best Buy, at ground level. Kim says that the new locations will
bring reasonably priced goods and job opportunities to locals. The
mountain would serve as a rooftop and provide a forest, a habitat for birds and
insects, and an outdoor activity hub for tourists and New Yorkers alike.
“Mountains are the original skyscrapers,”
said Kim, in an email. “Just imagine how this
forest in the mountain can emit fresh air and provide a habitat for animals.”
New Yorkers likely know Kim from his previous failed ambition -- a skyscraper-sized roller coaster. Critics claimed that, too, was not a practical step for city construction. Kim has not yet made any estimates regarding his newest project's cost, nor the safety precautions he would take. But he insists that his plan will shock New Yorkers who had previously not had access to mountains.
"I have always believed in making people look twice at a structure or landmark," he added. "Manhattan Mountain will make the city fun again."
New Yorkers likely know Kim from his previous failed ambition -- a skyscraper-sized roller coaster. Critics claimed that, too, was not a practical step for city construction. Kim has not yet made any estimates regarding his newest project's cost, nor the safety precautions he would take. But he insists that his plan will shock New Yorkers who had previously not had access to mountains.
"I have always believed in making people look twice at a structure or landmark," he added. "Manhattan Mountain will make the city fun again."
The mountain would replace the
Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, a seven-acre tract of undeveloped land along
Delancey and Grand Streets. City planners once hoped to provide low-income
housing on the property but decided to build on a nearby lot instead. The land
has been untouched since 1967 and remains Manhattan’s largest city-owned vacant
plot south of 96th Street.
City developers have a
different plan in mind. Public space planners turn the site into a public park.
But Kim feels that the plan lacks originality and unoriginal, and wouldn’t
bring NYC the kind of change it needs.
But area residents argue that they should be
reserved for low-income families to preserve the neighborhood’s flavor and
recapture people forced out by Manhattan’s rising rents.
“The costs of rent all across the city are
skyrocketing,” said Abe Rothberg, a 45-year resident of the Lower East Side.
“There is no community that lower and middle classes can call home anymore.”
Members
of Community Board 3 will hold a public hearing on April 18 in order to develop
a consensus on Kim’s plan, among other proposals for the site. The board will
vote on the land use application at the end of May, at which time the City
Planning Commission, the Borough President and the City Council will all share
their thoughts.
“There
are still a lot of facts we need to gather before choosing a design,” said Susan
Stetzer, district manager of Community Board 3. “We need to look at finances,
public safety risks, and we must hear what the people of our community have to
say about it. Right now, nothing is off limits and nothing is being approved.”
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