The Downtown Express reports (via Curbed) that the $60 million renovation of the Battery Maritime Building's Beaux Arts facade is just about complete. Now the city wants to turn the building into a public market/food emporium.
References to Seattle's Pike's Place have come up, 'natch, but hopefully we can do a little better than a fish-tossing spectacle. And it seems the place isn't easily accessible. But it could become quite a catalyst for Lower Lower Manhattan if some real planning takes place. The city would do well to get the Project for Public Spaces involved, the experts on public market design and how to leverage them for further investment.
P.S. I've been informed by Bird to the North that indeed PPS has made a presentation to a "decision-making group" to consult on the new public market concept. Good luck!
