Q&A
Maintenance of new green spaces created by the Port Authority Bus Terminal project
1:01:26
·
4 min
Council Member Bottcher asks about the maintenance of new green spaces created by the project. Port Authority representatives discuss their plans for maintaining these spaces and potential partnerships.
- Port Authority will play a role in supporting the maintenance of new green spaces
- They expect to need support from city, state, and potentially private stakeholders for ongoing maintenance
- Discussions about specific maintenance plans and funding will occur as the design of open spaces progresses
Erik D. Bottcher
1:01:26
Thank you for, as part of this project, decking over roadways and creating new green space for the community.
1:01:39
Who will pay for the maintenance of this green space after it's completed?
Hersh Parekh
1:01:48
So we are very happy with the current design of this program, in terms of providing, you know, 3 and a half acres of new open green space for the community.
1:01:57
We think it will help re knit the community, provide an open space of resource and amenity that this community has not had access to for a very long period of time.
1:02:10
So we are excited about that aspect of this project.
1:02:13
We also expect to engage in a robust engagement plan, whereby the community and other stakeholders, we will work with them to design the open spaces, and the programming, and the other sort of things that will exist within those deck over open spaces.
1:02:32
In terms of the long term maintenance of these open spaces, we recognize that, as an agency, we will play a role in, in supporting that.
1:02:43
But we will also we also expect to need the support of both the city and the state and, potentially, private stakeholders to, support in the ongoing maintenance of those open spaces, of those green spaces.
1:02:56
Ultimately, we are a transportation agency, and we will do what we can within our constraints to support the maintenance of those open spaces.
1:03:08
And we know that there's interest from local organizations to to manage those open spaces.
1:03:13
But, I do expect that there will be need to be some financial support from other stakeholders to really ensure that, they are maintained properly.
Erik D. Bottcher
1:03:21
At what point in this process do you envision these questions being answered specifically?
1:03:30
The port authority is agreeing to make an annual fixed payment, for example, for the maintenance of these, when does it get determined?
1:03:40
How much that is?
1:03:42
Who else is contributing?
1:03:44
Is it in the next 2 weeks?
1:03:46
Is it in the next year?
1:03:48
Is it when the decking is complete?
1:03:51
When do you when do you plan on having those discussions?
Hersh Parekh
1:03:57
I think as we get into the process of the design of these, open spaces, and we get a clearer picture of what the deck over open spaces will look like upon the conclusion of the program, I think that's also the appropriate time to start thinking about how to pull together these various sources of funding and other resources to ensure that these spaces are kept in good condition.
1:04:22
I don't think it's in anyone's interest, certainly not the port authority's interest, not the community's interest, and not other surrounding stakeholders to see these open spaces fall into a state of disrepair.
1:04:32
And so, we will work together with with your office council member and with other stakeholders, to pull that together as we begin thinking about, the design, of these open spaces.
1:04:43
Glenn, is there anything you wanna add to that?
1:04:46
No.
Glenn Guzzi
1:04:47
Sorry.
1:04:48
Other than that, as part of the planning for what the deckovers, the conversions, would look like, it is important, of course, to take into account who would be the, kind of, daily operator and what is it that they would advise us, in terms of operational, like the O and M, that would be necessary.
1:05:06
So, we certainly, while I want to echo what Hirsch said, it will be a very collaborative process.
1:05:12
It will be important to understand who would be the daily operator, so that their input helps guide us, you know, in terms of what the design looks like and what that O and M would would be like.
1:05:24
So, right now, it is a little early to determine.
