HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy in Civic Center, NY

DIM SUM is so commonplace around Civic Center, the swath of downtown Manhattan that encompasses City Hall, police headquarters and the courts, that it might almost be considered the official food. Passers-through on lunch break from jury duty have no doubt eaten their share in the Chinese restaurants lining Baxter Street.

For visual nourishment, the visitors have architecture — and that they share with an increasing number of full-time residents. Two such transplants are Chad Scott, who sells software, and his girlfriend, Holly Loudon, a doctor. Since relocating from the Upper East Side in September, they have been reveling in the area’s grand relics of history, built notably by city leaders but also by entrepreneurs like F. W. Woolworth, whose 1913 headquarters building can be seen from most rooms in the couple’s two-bedroom two-bath co-op.

As Mr. Scott put it, only half-jokingly, “When we first moved in, I said, ‘There’s no way we should set up a TV, because we can just look out the windows.’ ”

The couple, interested in starting a family, left the Upper East Side for more space. After searching the blocks between Park Avenue and Central Park, Mr. Scott realized that historic high-rises in that area were far beyond his budget.

In Civic Center they found a similar antique feel; in fact, their wine-red Gothic-style building was declared a landmark. Their 1,500-square-foot apartment cost $1.14 million — about half of what they would have paid in their old neighborhood.

There was a concern, going in. Dr. Loudon remembered the low-tide-like odor from her years of residency at New York Downtown Hospital in the late 1990s. Then she learned that the Fulton Fish Market had moved to the Bronx in 2005.

“Before I got here, I was like, ‘Are we really going to be able live down here?’ ” Mr. Scott said. “But we like how it’s changed.”

Still, there are changes, and then there are changes. The terror threat has made itself strongly felt in the area ever since Sept. 11, 2001. Police barricades block certain streets; armed officers are a common sight. Safety concerns generated by the impending trials of five 9/11 conspirators recently led Community Board 1, which covers the area, to unanimously pass a resolution urging the city to move the proceedings elsewhere.

Then there are the broadcast news trucks that camp out during court proceedings involving high-profile defendants like Martha Stewart and Bernard Madoff. Shirley Chu, who lives in a three-bedroom two-bath apartment on Worth Street, finds them especially disruptive because they knock out her wireless connection.

“It happens when all those things stick up in the air,” said Ms. Chu, in a brief interview outside her home. As she spoke three fire department vehicles tore by, with their sirens screaming.

“That’s another problem with living here,” she said, after the trucks had passed. She explained that her apartment, in a building that used to be income-restricted, cost $50,000 in 1974. Since then it has become a market-rate co-op; today it could sell for $1.2 million, she added, basing her estimate on recent listings.

One great thing about her location: short ribs that she considers among the best in the city can be found at the many Chinese restaurants right around the corner. “It’s wonderful,” Ms. Chu said, “because I’m not a good cook.”

WHAT YOU'LL FIND

This neighborhood with its center at City Hall Park and its perimeter hugging the edges of Chinatown, TriBeCa and the financial district has about 20,000 residents — double the number of a decade ago, according to the Downtown Alliance, the local business improvement district.

Still, considering that it’s roughly 10 blocks long and 5 wide, the area is far less dense than most of Manhattan, where the average number of residents for an area that size is 35,000, according to census figures. One obvious reason for that is the presence of so many nonresidential institutions, as well as plazas and parks.

Starting in the late 1800s, developers in the area raced one another to erect skyscrapers that were then of record-breaking height, though beholding the buildings today around City Hall Park, one finds them fairly modest in size.

The double-domed 15 Park Row, at 387 feet, was the highest on record from 1899 to 1908. It added 200 rentals to the area when it was converted in 2001, though lower floors still have offices. The 21-story granite building at 150 Nassau Street, once the offices of a Bible printer, now has 142 condos. Lions’ heads adorn arches in its lobby.

Publishers clustered here in the 19th century, especially along Park Row. At No. 38, whose new co-op portion is known as 145 Nassau Street, type used to be set for The New York Press.

A poured foundation at Barclay and Church Streets is someday supposed to anchor an 80-story condo-hotel by Larry Silverstein. The project, stalled by financing problems, would be the city’s tallest residence, eclipsing Trump World Tower, which has 72 stories.

But the Beekman, a new rental building, may eclipse Trump first. Designed by Frank Gehry, the 76-story luxury high-rise had half of its windows in place in late January. Its sinuous metal facade recalls the chrome of a 1950s automobile.

In perhaps another sign of increasing neighborhood affluence, Southbridge Towers, a nine-building 1971 complex with 1,651 co-ops, awaits state approval to leave the Mitchell-Lama affordable-housing program and become market-rate housing.

WHAT YOU’LL PAY

It might be a good time to buy in. Prices have dropped about 20 percent here since the market’s peak, and sales have slowed.

In 2007, 73 co-ops and condos sold for an average price of $1.57 million, or about $960 a square foot, according to the Corcoran Group. Last year 61 sold, for an average of $1.27 million.

But values are expected to grow, says Garret Lepaw, a Corcoran broker from TriBeCa, particularly because of the promised development at the World Trade Center site.

“As much as it can be sad to see people coming to see this site of our disaster,” Mr. Lepaw said, “they will always do so. It’s one of the most notable places in the world.”

Rentals run the gamut. In some of the plainer six-story buildings along Nassau Street, lofts go for around $2,500 a month; at 111 Worth, which has doorman service, a similar unit was recently listed at $3,200.

WHAT TO DO

On weekends, when bureaucrats have gone home, tourists fill the neighborhood from the Brooklyn Bridge to the World Trade Center site, with stops at St. Paul’s Chapel, its chandelier-hung interior offering 9/11-themed exhibits.

Another point of interest is the African Burial Ground National Monument on Duane Street, where construction workers excavating a building site in 1991 discovered the remains of 419 people buried in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today the site, which is to open a new visitor center in February, has a black-marble likeness of the kinds of pens used to confine slaves along the West African coast.

THE SCHOOLS

Because of the influx of new residents, officials are working to increase school capacity in the area, where the highly ranked Public School 234 on Greenwich Street is overcrowded. The city is taking steps to rezone the neighborhood; those affected by the rezoning could end up at the Spruce Street School, No. 397, which will open in 2011 at the base of the Beekman.

Public School 234 accepts students by lottery. Last year, 99 percent of its fourth-graders met standards in math, 99 percent in English. Citywide, those figures were 85 percent for math and 69 percent for English.

At Intermediate School 289 in nearby Battery Park City, 82 percent of eighth-graders met standards in math, 91 percent in English, versus 57 percent and 71 percent citywide.

At Millennium High School on Broad Street, SAT averages last year were 514 in math, 481 in reading and 494 in writing, versus 500, 480, and 470 statewide.

THE COMMUTE

The neighborhood is flanked by two of Manhattan’s busier subway stations: Canal Street, with J, M, N, Q, R, W, Z and 6 trains; and Fulton Street/Broadway Nassau, which has the A, C, J, M, Z, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Fulton Street is in the midst of a redesign meant to simplify its labyrinthine corridors and create a connection to the E, R and W lines as well as the PATH trains.

THE HISTORY

Columbus Park, which opened in 1897, was designed by Calvert Vaux, a designer of Central Park. According to historical accounts, it replaced run-down buildings in a high-crime area at the heart of the notorious Five Points neighborhood.

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. —

Plattsburgh Mayor Chris Rosenquest said his mind is made up about taking down the Crete Civic Center.

“This is something the city of Plattsburgh can no longer keep saddling,” Rosenquest said. “It’s just too much.”

In a memo he released earlier this week on Facebook, he emphasizes that the cost is too high to keep the recreation center intact.

Officials estimate it will cost around $20,000-$30,000 to install new underground electrical distribution lines and repair damaged electrical equipment inside the building. An additional $25,000-$30,000 is required to hire an electrical contractor to inspect the building. A minimum cost of $45,000 was estimated just to reorganize the building and check for damages from a fire that burned inside the civic center last May.

The total cost to repair the building, excluding any outside of insurance fees, is $250,000.

The mayor also added that an earlier inspection revealed a number of other issues, including cockroaches, mold and other safety hazards spread throughout the building.

“All of these things have added up to roughly about a $250,000 fix for the Crete Center,” Rosenquest said. “Again, it goes back to does the city of Plattsburgh want to saddle that burden, and I’m saying, ‘no [we] do not.’”

Despite the cost, Plattsburgh residents are still doing everything they can to sway the mayor’s opinion. Several people attended his walking tour and open question-and-answer conversation about the facility this week, speaking up on why it should stay.

“This is obviously an issue that’s going on in the city,” said Josh Meyer, a soccer coach who uses the civic center with his team, Plattsburgh Football. “I’m trying to stay at the forefront of the issue and see what the mayor had to say."

Local sports organizations are also doing whatever they can to help out. Steve Peters, an organizer at Adirondack Coast Sports, is working on creating a proposal that will balance out both sides between the mayor and the hundreds of athletes who played in the Crete.

“My goal was really just to provide an alternative solution,” Peters said. "To see if there is a win-win opportunity for the people that I represent, of which there is about 1,700 kids and adults that participate and provide an option for people to stay in here without providing such a drain or strain on the city tax payment.”

Elizabeth Gibbs is one Plattsburgh council member who disagrees with the mayor’s decision.

“I cannot support tearing down the building at this time,” Gibbs said. “The children of [Plattsburgh], not only the city, but also the county, deserve a location for their athletics programs.”

There is not an official date as to when the mayor intends to start the demolition, but he said he’s looking to start the conversation to find other ways to add recreational activities in Plattsburgh without using the 48-year-old building.

“That’s the conversation we need to have,” Rosenquest said. “The Crete Civic Center has lived its useful life. I think it’s time to move on and it’s time to have a different conversation for what regional recreation looks like.”

Top Picks

Through the end of the year, reporters will be looking back at and following up on stories and topics that were the most popular with our readers in 2018, according to metrics on poughkeepsiejournal.com. This story is part of that series.

The historic but dilapidated Mid-Hudson Civic Center in downtown Poughkeepsie is set for a $1 million makeover.

That’s courtesy of Majed J. Nesheiwat, a Town of Poughkeepsie resident and founder and CEO of Kingston-based Gas Land Petroleum who has paid $1 million for the Civic Center naming rights. The City of Poughkeepsie building is getting a new name - the Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center.

And the $1 million is being used for a structural facelift of the building and upgrade of the grounds. So yeah, Mid-Hudson Civic Center President Danielle Anderson is very excited about the future of the venue she oversees.

“Are you kidding me?” she said. “I’m thrilled. This is the most exciting time that we’ve seen here in years. We are making turns for the better.”

Opened on Dec. 5, 1976, the Mid-Hudson Civic Center boasts a rich history of live music; figure skating and ice hockey; and community events. But its physical and financial conditions over years have deteriorated in the midst of complaints from the public about skating conditions and concert sound.

Now, with a physical and financial overhaul unfolding, the Civic Center has new momentum.

In addition to the naming rights, other sponsorships ranging from $10,000-$50,000 are in the works and will pay for upgrades to bathrooms; locker rooms; lighting; the stage; and the lobby, according to Anderson.

“We can’t up our prices so high that people can’t come,” said Mid-Hudson Civic Center President Danielle Anderson. “How else can a nonprofit, that’s run in this 42-year-old building, how is it going to make the upgrade? It’s going to pull together local businesses that have a vested interest, that want to see this place change. And I’m not talking about the Mid-Hudson Civic Center - we serve as a hub and anchor of the downtown of the City of Poughkeepsie.”

The new name, structural facelift and upgrade of the grounds were announced Dec. 3. Looking ahead to 2019, comedian Jim Gaffigan has two shows scheduled for March 1 and one of them is nearly sold out. Also, the Dropkick Murphys have sold out their Feb. 17 performance in Poughkeepsie.

Esopus resident and SUNY New Paltz graduate Steve Bohn has seen Santana and Bob Dylan perform at the Civic Center. He has also taken his 10-year-old son Sterling to the annual Hudson Valley Railroad Society Train & Hobby Show there.

Bohn has fond memories of attending events at the Civic Center and hopes these physical and financial changes can help the venue reach a potential he said it has never quite realized.

“It has its own niche,” he said. “It’s got to be part of Poughkeepsie's story going forward.”

Those who attend events at the Civic Center or simply walk past the building each day can expect to see a new exterior in 2019, Anderson said.

Also, the Civic Center will replace the front and rear marquees at a cost of $150,000-$200,000. These are scheduled to be in place this spring and come in the wake of $3,000 worth of repairs to the rear marquee.

As far as finances are concerned, the Civic Center in 2016 operated in the red for the second straight year. Anderson declined to offer specifics on the finances, but she did say that, “Everything is on the positive side and the uptick.”

That uptick, she said, includes expanding the types of events offered at the venue.

Anderson said these events have included comedian Kevin Hart, who played the Civic Center in September. Also, the venue in August hosted the annual music festival for the New York Death Militia, an organization dedicated to underground metal music.

In March, the Civic Center will host its first tattoo festival.

“When you turn a ship of this size around, it takes years,” said Anderson, president of the Civic Center since October 2016. “I inherited a large mess, not only the building and the structure, the things that were even offered here. It was too narrow a scope. This new appeal that I’m bringing is what we needed to do as an organization to survive and be an asset to the community.”

She added, “You can’t keep doing what you’ve always been doing when times change. As the world change and evolves, so should we.”

Anderson also oversaw the Civic Center’s certification as a state Qualified Production Facility for film production, which means the venue is part of the region’s multi-million dollar film industry. Actor Josh Hutcherson of “The Hunger Games” films and actress Suki Waterhouse were at the Civic Center in February for the filming of “Plume.”

Mayor Rob Rolison said he expects the expanded offerings and physical upgrades to work in tandem as the Civic Center leaves a tangible, sizable impact on the community.

“A better building, more shows, more services that are going to be needed to accommodate the people that are going to come to more shows and a better building - it’s creating more of a buzz,” he said.

John W. Barry: [email protected], 845-437-4822, Twitter: @JohnBarryPoJo

More coverage:

Syracuse, N.Y. – Hundreds of Onondaga County employees will return to their desks at the downtown Civic Center complex Monday, after working from home for several months. Many are not happy about it, union leaders say.

Employees think it’s too soon to pack into a building with windows that don’t open, said Tammy Honeywell, executive vice president of CSEA Local 834, the county’s biggest union. They fear that the increased number of people will raise the risk of spreading Covid-19.

“Many of the employees are having concerns,’' Honeywell said. “All of a sudden we’re bringing everybody back.’'

County Executive Ryan McMahon said he’s heard the complaints, but he’s not giving them credence. He said county departments will be more efficient with people working at the office.

The county has made building improvements – including the installation of air purifiers and MERV 14 filters – to ensure that it’s safe, he said.

“We say it’s safe for other people to have their businesses open, but we’re not open for business? It’s just not consistent,’' McMahon said. “I understand anxiety and I understand people may like working from home, but these things were always temporary.’'

The second wave of the virus has subsided. County workers will be eligible to be vaccinated as of March 17, and some had previously qualified for shots, McMahon said.

A contingent of the county work force – several hundred people -- have worked from the Civic Center and the adjacent County Office Building throughout the pandemic. But nearly 1,000 others have been working from home, Honeywell said.

Some of the returning employees are worried that their desks are not six feet apart, Honeywell said. They say it’s too soon to return.

Others complain that they were previously told working from home was a permanent option, and they planned accordingly.

Many of the employees who monitor eligibility for SNAP (food stamps) and day care subsidies were told in August they could work from home permanently, Honeywell said. But Sunday they were informed by email that that was a misunderstanding, and they are to report to the Civic Center, according to a copy of the email reviewed by syracuse.com.

McMahon said he was unaware of those details. But he said his plan was always for employees to return to the office. He needs employees on site to better assess the needs of each county department, he said.

“We need to be able to manage work flows and workloads,’' McMahon said. “It’s difficult to do that with people remote.”

Honeywell said some departments have increased productivity with remote work. With flexibility to work around issues that come up during the standard workday, employees have been able to get work done with less need for time off, she said.

She said the county just updated its phone system so that employees could receive calls directly at home rather than retrieving voicemails.

“Working from home has worked quite well for many of our departments,’' she said.

Employees will take rapid Covid-19 tests before returning to the Civic Center, according to a Feb. 26 email from McMahon’s office notifying employees of the March 15 return.

In addition, work schedules will be staggered to avoid overcrowding at the building entrances, according to the email from McMahon’s chief of staff, Sue Stanczyk.

Employees working at the Civic Center will be required to wear masks when they are away from their desks or if they sit within six feet of a coworker.

“As always, if you are ill, stay home,’' Stanczyk wrote.

Do you have a news tip or a story idea? Contact reporter Tim Knauss of syracuse.com/The Post-Standard: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023.

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1976-01-15-Civic1.JPG

Opening night gala for the Onondaga County Civic Center, Syracuse, NY.

(Dick Blume / The Post-Standard)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Forty years ago today, the building Ella Fitzgerald called beautiful opened its doors for the first time.

The First Lady of Song headlined a night of jazz, classical music and champagne at the opening of the Onondaga County Civic Center, a night former County Executive John Mulroy called "the most significant date in my life."

More than 2,000 people paid between $25 and $35 for a seat in the 2,117-seat theater that took 10 years and $24 million to complete.

"Welcome to the premiere of the Concert Theater," Dr. Joseph Golden, then-executive director of the Cultural Resources Council, said in a Jan. 16, 1976 Post-Standard story. "You don't know how beautiful you look out there, or how long it took to get you here."

Click the headlines to read the full newspaper stories: (App users CLICK HERE)

Christopher Keene, who would later become general director of the New York City Opera, led the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the "Star Spangled Banner" to kick off the night.

The symphony then played two Samuel Barber works before Charles Strouse took the stage. The Tony Award-winner, best known for composing Broadway musicals such as Annie and Bye Bye Birdie, conducted "What is There to Sing About?", a work the CRC commissioned.

Notable attendees included Henry Steinway, president of Steinway & Sons piano makers; Fazlollah Reza, then Iran's ambassador to Canada and former Syracuse University professor; Joan Davidson and Arthur Bloom from the New York State Council on the Arts and former State Senator Tarky Lombardi Jr.

They all watched as Ella Fitzgerald, adorned in "flowing black chiffon with a touch of white at her bodice," took the stage.

In his review for the Herald-Journal, Earl George noted that Fitzgerald sung works by Duke Ellington and George Gershwin, but it was her rendition of "How High the Moon" that left the audience "with pleasure--and wonder."

"It was an important night for the town's music," George wrote. "It will never be the same again. And it's nice to report that it can only be better...and better."

Fitzgerald closed out the concert around 11:45 p.m. to a standing ovation. A champagne reception was held after the concert.

In his story for the Jan. 16, 1976 Herald-Journal, Dick Case, who was still went by Richard G. Case at the time, noted that hundreds of concert-goers lingered past 1 a.m., sipping champagne and reflecting on the night that was.

This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Jacob Pucci: Email | Twitter | 315-766-6747