Critics: Peck Slip Design Suffers from "Cuteification"

For years the seaport area has been undergoing changes – from the closing of the fish market to the restoration of landmark buildings to the boom in residential development to the redesign of Peck Slip.

But not everyone's supporting the Peck Slip makeover. The NY Sun is reporting that some local preservationists are bemoaning the area's “cuteification.” They say that plans to remake the half-acre along Front St. into a park don’t honor the area’s past.

“Putting trees and flowers and benches in the middle of the space belies the historic authenticity of the space," a co-director of the Seaport Community Coalition, Gary Fagin, said. "The historic open space should be treated with the same delicacy with which historic buildings are treated."

This isn't the first time around for the Peck Slip redesign, which has been in the works for years. Initial plans for a park and cobblestone plaza were shelved last month after Community Board 1 rejected the plan because it lacked green space. Last June, residents urged for a Rome-like piazza that would honor the neighborhood’s maritime history.