Razing Possibilities for Pier 17

South Street Seaport sea changes: amNew York reports that the mall at Pier 17 may be demolished - only for the company that owns the mall to build a new one in its place. Well, wait, make that a "mixed-use retail, residential, and open space development."

General Growth Properties will be revealing its plans for the space to Community Board 1 on Monday. Its spokesperson didn't give detail on how many floors the new design would entail, saying, "The lower you go, the less open space there is -- but nothing has been decided," but doesn't that also mean "The higher you go, the less other people can see?"

Of course, towers have been proposed at Pier 17 before, but a tipster tells Curbed, "There is no way in hell GGP gets a tower," given CB1's previous rejection of a "very slender 12 story tower" proposed by Related Companies before GGP bought the property. Still, people hope that GGP can figure out a way to make "commerce and maritime history" work together.

What do you think would work at the Seaport? And there's innovation by way of playground design headed to that neighborhood as well.

Photograph of Pier 17 and the Ambrose by wallyg on Flickr