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See also main story-All Washed Up; Sidebars-1) Fears of Failure Fuel Scale-Down 2) Waterways: Lifeblood of City Growth
Manhattan 1. West Side waterfront Proposal: In the wake of the failed proposal for a Westway expressway along the Hudson River from 59th Street to the Brooklyn-Battery tunnel, city and state officials are now backing a $550-million plan for a scaled-down roadway and a park/esplanade running the length of the project. There would be some commercial development, including a mixed-use development at Pier 40 near Houston Street, a major hotel at the Hudson River Center at Pier 76 off 36th Street, and a boating/office complex near 42nd Street. Status: This fall, Mayor David N. Dinkins and Gov. Mario Cuomo agreed to a nine-member panel, the Hudson River Park Corp., that will oversee the project, although some environmentalists fear the panel will back too much development.
2. Riverside South Proposal: This was also a larger project once, during the boomtown 1980s, when developer Donald Trump wanted to build a massive mixed-use development along the Hudson from 59th Street to 72nd Street called Television City, with a 150-story skyscraper. The new Riverside South plan, now under design with some environmentalists playing an active role, calls for 5,500 housing units as well as offices but now features a 23-acre waterfront park, and has reduced the overall size by nearly half. Status: The project got a shot in the arm last month when Washington approved federal funds to move the Miller Highway, which would open up the parkland. The new firm that is developing the project hopes to submit its land-use applications this spring.
3. Riverbank State Park Proposal: During the 1970s, state and city officials sweetened their plan to place the massive North River sewage treatment plant in West Harlem by proposing to build this state park - which would include a softball field, a football field, a skating rink, picnic areas, a cultural center, and other amenities - on the roof. Status: The park is now slated to open in 1993, but that date is shrouded in uncertainty because of state budget cuts and because of widespread complaints over foul odors from the sewage plant. City environmental officials are drafting a plan to correct the smell problem.
4. Harlem...