DEP Press Advisory on Deer Hunting Cancellation, October 2, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Access Denied Residents have been allowed Io move back into all buildings in Battery Park City except Gateway 500 and Gateway 600. It is not known when they will be reopened.

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Some Neighbors Still Homeless Battery Park City tenants wait for word their physical or mental health. Part of the confusion is rooted in the The concern over Battery Park City By Roni Rabin Gordian knot of landlords and city, STAFF WRITER may be reflected in the rate of return state and federal agencies that are all of tenants: Only 61 percent of the occu­ Alastair Onglingswan doesn’t like to jointly involved in clearing the area for pants of north Battery Park City, complain — he knows he’s one of the rehabitation. which reopened Sept. 21, have re­ lucky ones. But his Gateway Plaza stu­ Yesterday, for example. Gateway turned home, and a mere 36 percent of dio apartment in Battery Park City Plaza manager Jamie Lefrak indicated south Battery Park City residents looks like Pompeii, he’s running out of most apartments could be reoccupied have come home, according to Battery clothes and he’s been sleeping on and the only holdup was the lack of ap­ Park City Authority president Tim couches since Sept. 11. proval by the city’s Office of Emergen­ Carey. The local supermarket just, re­ Gateway Plaza, which has 1,712 cy Management and the Department opened and ground transportation has apartments in five residential build­ of Environmental Protection. Yet DEP been limited. ings along with a sixth commercial Chief of Staff Charles Sturckeri said Though a shuttle bus from the Bowl­ building, is the only section of Battery the landlord had yet to complete a ing Green subway to the southern end Park City that has yet to be opened for cleanup operation. The cleanup was of Battery Park City has been intro­ reoccupation. Though most services stalled, Lefrak explained, because resi­ duced, and the M20 bus route has ex­ have been restored, confusion was the dents insisted on being present during tended a spur into the northern neigh­ order of the day, and it was still not the maintenance work, having heard borhood, cars, buses and taxis are still clear yesterday when the Gateway sec­ that some apartments had been ran­ banned. tion would be rehabitated. sacked. “Right now the hurdle we must get “We know the city is overburdened Going home isn’t the only question over is access,” said Carey, who predict­ with the rescue and now recovery ef­ on Gateway residents’ minds. Preg­ ed it could take several 'months before fort. But being left in the dark now is nant women and families with chil­ residents of the most severely dam­ really taking a toll,” said Ongling­ dren are concerned about air quality. aged Gateway 600 building return swan, 33, whose apartment is in Gate­ Onglingswan said he gets headaches home. “We have problems with access way 500, on 385 South End Ave. every time he stops by his apartmem for child care, and access for home “It would be great if someone would to pick things up. And despite repeated health care.” say, ‘Look, you’re at Ground Zero, you assurances by city and federal environ­ But, Carey said, he was optimistic. mental agencies, some residents won­ “They had a moving van there |in Bat­ should expect it to take three months.’ tery Park City] yesterday,” he said. “1 But no one’s making that determina­ der whether their proximity to Ground assumed people were moving out. tion.” . Zero devastation will be detrimental to Thev were moving in.”

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