Governors Have an Island?
Gondolas and Theme Parks to Amplify Tourism on Unfamiliar Governor's Island
Kathleen Bulson
Issue date: 3/22/06 Section: News
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In a city known for its historical tourist islands, Governor's Island remains relatively unknown to New York's public. Despite being a historical military icon, it is overshadowed by the famous immigrant port of Ellis Island, as well as the "freedom beacon," the Statue of Liberty, both nearby to Governor's Island in New York Harbor. The government's initiative to add attractions attempts to address the island's lack of celebrity.
Bloomberg is quoted in an Eyewitness News Seven online article saying, "Its advantage is one thing: it is isolated. But that's also a disadvantage."
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava created a plan involving a suspended gondola to link the island with Manhattan and Brooklyn that would solve the issue of isolation. A reporter quoted in a Feb. 16 article on the WNYC website described the idea as a "structure, made of arcing white ribs [that] could carry up to six thousand passengers an hour."
The cable tramway would be suspended 200 feet in the air. The new system would solve the isolation problem while still having a "minimal environmental impact" as the WNYC quotes Calatrava. Currently, the island is accessible via a ten-minute ferry ride from the Battery Maritime Building.
Currently, the island's main tourist attraction, the military monument section located on the north part of the island, has limited access. The public can only view the monument in the summer season. Further obstacles incur with the monument's suitability for tourism. It lacks the amenities of food and bathrooms. This historically designated district encompasses 92 of 172 acres of land.
Submissions for ideas on what to construct on the island to increase tourism end on May 10. Ideas so far range from a massive entertainment park to a football stadium, a golf center, hotels or even a college. The deed on the land prevents any more housing or industrial areas. A Feb. 16 New York Sun article says that the island's developments must end up being financially self-sustaining. Bloomberg has ruled out a football stadium, likely because of the failure of the West Side stadium plan. The article also states that development opportunities lie with private investors and for-profit organizations.