Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, Inc. records, 1937-1995, bulk 1958-1974, bulk 1958-1974

Summary

Creator:

Downtown Lower Manhattan Association and Rockefeller, David (1915-2017)

Extent:

98.81 Cubic Feet

Language:

English .

Background

Scope and content:

The collection documents all aspects of the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association's activities from its creation, with the consolidation of the Downtown Manhattan Association and the Committee on Lower Manhattan in 1958, through its most active and successful years of 1958-1974, through the mid-1990s with its participation in the Lower Manhattan Project and its resulting updated Lower Manhattan Plan, and the role played by the DLMA as the supporting organization for Lower Manhattan's Business Improvement District (BID), the Alliance for Downtown New York. The material encompasses the meeting records of the Board of Directors, Members, Executive Committee, Planning Committee, and other prominent committees, a limited selection of officers files, financial records, membership records, projects, DLMA publications, and reports and studies.

The overwhelming majority of the records are contained in the projects series which documents the creation, development and evolution of many of the important projects advocated and recommended by the DLMA in the realm of land use, redevelopment, and traffic and transportation improvements.

The DLMA collection serves as a model of successful urban renewal and collaboration between the public and private sectors and various agencies of all levels of government. In many ways any study of the activities of the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association is truly a snapshot of the history of New York City, its position as the dominant urban center of New York State and the United States, as well as its place in the global economy. Urban and regional planning are dominant themes throughout, but the records also illuminate the complex maze of elected officials, city agencies, commissions, and public authorities that must be navigated, with all of its significant players, from the local community board to the Board of Estimate, City Council, City Planning Commission, the Mayor's office, as well as the participation of such powerful entities as the Port Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and community groups such as the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

The Association was largely a success, in that many of its aims were successfully implemented to foster the expansion of business occupancy, modernization of facilities, creation of residential opportunities and a subsequent increase of the residential population, and expansion of community and social services especially during the 1960s and early 1970s, and these successes are documented throughout. But the records also uncover its failures, those projects that succumbed to political, economic, legal, and community obstacles. Above all, the records indicate commitment, dedication, perseverance, and cooperation needed to allocate resources in keeping with a long-term vision for the betterment of the community.

Biographical / historical:

The Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association (DLMA) is a non-profit association of individual and organizational members consisting mainly of prominent business leaders in the Lower Manhattan community. It was created to serve as a voice for Lower Manhattan, to foster and promote the economic, civic, social, and cultural welfare of the area and to transform it from a commuter dominated business center to a multi-use total community.

The founding of the DLMA is interconnected to the aims, goals, and objectives of its first Chairman David Rockefeller and those of the Chase Manhattan Bank. In 1955 Chase National Bank (often linked with the Standard Oil Company and its largest shareholders the Rockefeller family) merged with the Manhattan Company (commonly known as the Bank of Manhattan which had been founded by Aaron Burr in 1799 as New York's second bank, preceded only by Alexander Hamilton's Bank of New York). "During the postwar quarter century, the Chase Manhattan Bank was very probably the single most powerful financial institution on the face of the earth."* The newly created Chase Manhattan bank was looking to make a colossal statement, and there was no better way to flex its muscle than to build a flagship headquarters. David Rockefeller, as Executive Vice President of Planning and Development and chairman of the committee responsible for the location of the new headquarters, chose Lower Manhattan. This was a bold risky decision based both on the potential strength of the Chase Manhattan Bank and that of the Lower Manhattan financial district.

Despite its rich history as the former capital of the United States, in the 1950s the area many had claimed as "capital of the world" was undeniably in decline. Rents and occupancies were low and vacancies were high, many of the existing public and private facilities were deteriorating and suffering various levels of obsolescence. Lower Manhattan was rapidly losing to its competition - the posh new facilities offered in midtown. Robert Moses "pointed out that many Wall Street businesses had already moved uptown or were about to leave the city altogether. If any more left, Chase's decision to remain would be a colossal blunder."** "The construction of a new Chase headquarters could make a difference but by itself would not be enough. If the physical infrastructure and public services were not radically upgraded, the exodus from Wall Street would continue."*** David Rockefeller wrote in his "Memoirs" "Moses suggested that I put together an organization that could speak on behalf of the downtown financial community and offer a cohesive plan for the physical redevelopment of Wall Street to persuade the politicians to allocate the necessary resources."****

Construction of One Chase Manhattan Plaza was completed in 1961 and the association charged with insuring its long-term success, and that of all of Lower Manhattan, was officially established in 1958 through the consolidation of the Downtown Manhattan Association, Inc. (founded as the City Hall Park Association in 1937) and the Committee on Lower Manhattan, Inc. (originally organized as a committee of the New York State Chamber of Commerce) as the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, Inc., with David Rockefeller as its chairman.

The DLMA serves as a vehicle for Lower Manhattan's business and institutional leaders to interact, develop common goals and objectives, and to work in concert with the public and with representatives at every level of local, state, and federal government to facilitate implementation of its plans and long-term vision. According to the "Agreement for Consolidation" the specific objectives of the Association are to foster, promote and support: physical improvements, sound redevelopment and preservation of economic values; improvement of transit, traffic and transportation facilities serving the area and parking facilities in the area; preservation, rehabilitation and restoration of buildings, structures and sites of historical interest; establishment and maintenance of non-profit publicly accessible museums, libraries and other cultural, educational, recreational, humanitarian, patriotic and civic facilities and programs; and to honor organizations and individuals that have rendered distinguished service to the area.*****

To accomplish these objectives, the DLMA's main course of action is to initiate, or to commission, studies, surveys and reports and to disseminate these findings to the general public, public bodies, and government officials, and to subsequently support those proposals deemed to promote Downtown and oppose those that would be a detriment to the area. In this vein, the DLMA's "First Report," published on October 14, 1958, presented a comprehensive view of the current conditions and offered a series of recommendations toward the strategic revitalization of Lower Manhattan in the fields of traffic and transportation, land use, and the proposed designation of several major redevelopment areas. Among the many recommendations were a variety of street widenings and closings to alleviate crowding and congestion, comprehensive rezoning of the entire area, a plan to demolish and/or modernize the east and west side waterfront piers, and the proposed relocation of the Fulton Fish Market and the west side produce market known as Washington Market.

The historical legacy of the Association will surely be connected to the role it played in the creation of the World Trade Center. At the Executive Committee meeting of June 15, 1959, the DLMA considered a May 25 memo written by McKinsey & Company, Inc. regarding preliminary study of a World Trade and Finance Center. The memo states "growing orientation of American management to a world-wide point of view raises the possibility of, and perhaps the need for, a physical center for international trade and business in the United States -- a center where United States and foreign business and financial interests can meet to do business; where representatives of the United States and foreign governments are available for consultation and aid; and where facilities are available to expedite business transactions. Such a center might accelerate the development of international business and act as a symbol of this country's growing world leadership in the international business community.... New York City is in all likelihood the logical place for such an international center."****** In 1960, "DLMA commissioned Skidmore, Owings and Merrill to develop a plan for a 13.5 acre site that included a 70-story hotel and office building, an international trade mart and exhibition hall and a central securities building"******* to be located along the East River between Old Slip and Fulton Street. This 1960 report also recommended giving the Port Authority the authority to plan and build the complex. Ultimately to insure political cooperation from New Jersey, and utilization of the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (PATH) terminal, the World Trade Center complex of seven buildings, including the 110-story twin towers, were built on the west side in the area previously occupied by "radio row" and the Washington Street produce market.

The Association also certainly had its share of frustration and failure, illuminating the intricate combination of public, private, and governmental support needed for any project to succeed in New York City as well as the perseverance, determination, and sustained resources needed to see it become reality. Expansion of the Second Avenue Subway, Westway, and construction of the Lower Manhattan Expressway are all examples of major projects advocated by the DLMA that for a variety of reasons never came to fruition. Westway, a highway project to be built on landfill along the Hudson River, failed after its federal funding collapse as a consequence of legal opposition from environmentalists.

In the case of the Lower Manhattan Expressway, "Moses had long been planning to construct [expressways] across Manhattan island itself. Even before the war, Moses had planned at least three such expressways -- all elevated: an Upper Manhattan Expressway at approximately 125th Street; a Mid Manhattan Expressway at either 30th or 36th Street; and a Lower Manhattan Expressway that would run across Broome Street and connect the Holland Tunnel with the Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges."******** David Rockefeller and the DLMA were possibly Moses' biggest downtown allies in the battle to build the LME. The DLMA "Second Report" states "our continued support for the Expressway is not only for reasons of traffic improvement or increased tax revenues, or enhanced real estate values. We are convinced that this undertaking will add more employment opportunities, will create improved and upgraded jobs in the area, and will result in higher wages and better living conditions."********* Following large-scale organized community opposition, the Board of Estimate rejected a budget appropriation for the Expressway, but the DLMA continued to show support for the ill-fated project.

After initiating a variety of traffic and transit improvements and successfully expanding the capacity to house local businesses, the DLMA shifted its focus to increasing residential capacities in Lower Manhattan and expanding the available social, cultural and recreational services suitable for the development of a truly multi-purpose 24-hour total community in Lower Manhattan. The concept of utilizing the Battery Park area for a large-scale housing project had been endorsed as a portion of DLMA's "First Report."********** Detailed plans for Battery Park City (BPC) were introduced in 1966 by Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller and architectural consultant Wallace K. Harrison. The Governor's plan proposed the development of 98 acres of landfill on the Hudson River from the Battery to Chambers Street, for use as middle and low income housing, light industry, schools, religious houses of worship, a library and museum, a civic center, and a hotel.*********** "Battery Park City represents the largest and most complex single urban real estate development ever undertaken in this country."************ Ultimately after many years and vast transformation of the project, the as-built BPC bore virtually no resemblance to its original vision.

Another significant project was the cultural development of South Street Seaport, a 33-acre site that includes a state-sponsored Maritime Museum, restored buildings, recreational, entertainment, and shopping facilities, and a fleet of ships for public educational use. South Street Seaport serves as both a wonderful asset for everyday use by current Lower Manhattan citizens and a reminder of the maritime lifestyle and historical significance of the port of New York.

The activities of the DLMA are, in the words of their "Fourth Report" of 1973, a "powerful testimony to what can be accomplished when public minded private interests and all levels of government join to take a long, bold and outward look at community needs and potential, and then work in concert to bring about constructive change."*************

* Caro, Robert A. "The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York." New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1974., p. 734. ** Rockefeller, David. "Memoirs." New York: Random House, Inc. 2002, p. 387. *** Rockefeller, David. "Memoirs." New York: Random House, Inc. 2002, p. 387. **** Rockefeller, David. "Memoirs." New York: Random House, Inc. 2002, p. 388. ***** RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 1.6, Box 10, Folder 90. ****** RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 2.1.3, Box 17, Folder 190. ******* Rockefeller, David. "Memoirs." New York: Random House, Inc. 2002, p. 389. ******** Caro, Robert A. "The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York." New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1974., p. 769. ********* RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 2.4, Box 197, Folder 1809. ********** RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 2.4, Box 197, Folder 1807. *********** Roberts, Steven V. "Governor Urges 'City' at Battery," "New York Times," May 13, 1966. ************ RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 2.4, Box 200, Folder 1823. ************* RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 2.4, Box 202, Folder 1830.

Lower Manhattan Sketch

To study the activities of the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association (DLMA) requires an understanding of the area itself. In the terms specified by the DLMA, Lower Manhattan refers to the area south of Canal Street, generally bordered to the west by the Hudson River, to the East by the East River and to the South by the Battery and New York Harbor, geographically encompassing approximately one square mile. Lower Manhattan is often hailed as the financial capital of the world and it has a rich history of shipping and commerce through the port of New York. Lower Manhattan was the earliest area settled by the Dutch when it was known as New Amsterdam and once housed the entire population of the city of New York. Early government activity of the newly forming United States of America also centered in Lower Manhattan. In May of 1774 New York's Committee of Fifty-One called for the establishment of the Continental Congress, George Washington bid farewell to his troops at Fraunces Tavern (54 Pearl Street) in 1783 and was inaugurated as the country's first President at Federal Hall in 1789. New York City served as the capital of the United States from 1785-1790 at which time Fraunces Tavern (the oldest structure still standing in Manhattan) housed the offices of the Departments of State, Treasury and War. Today government activity in Lower Manhattan is representative of all levels of government and is mainly concentrated in Civic Center including City Hall, the Municipal Building and Foley Square.

At the time the DLMA was formed, Lower Manhattan had a working population of approximately 400,000 and a residential population of 4,000.* Employment in the area focused mainly in the financial and shipping sectors, with small representation from other industries such as transportation, communications and wholesale distributors. The area had for the most part been left out of the post-World War II industrial boom. "In June 1958, when our association was organized, the words that best described the fringes of Lower Manhattan were erosion, decay and exodus."** "Potentially valuable acreage either lay idle or was underutilized in block after block of low-rise, low yield, decrepit structures housing marginal enterprises. A sorry network of rotting piers and primitive waterfront facilities ringing the perimeter completed the scene of economic waste and blight."*** This was the landscape as the DLMA began its operations.

Overall, the DLMA has been quite successful in its aims to redevelop and revitalize the area, with the ultimate goal of reclaiming its dominance in the areas of finance, commerce, and world trade as well as developing a vibrant 24-hour residential community with all the amenities of successful urban life through the expansion of facilities for education, health care and the development of cultural and recreational programs.

In the 15 years spanning 1958-1973, nearly 47 million square feet of new office space was created in Lower Manhattan and its workforce and residence had expanded to 500,000 and approximately 33,000 respectively. This new office space alone would be considered the fourth largest office center in the United States. Only two other cities (Chicago and Washington) have as much office space in their central business districts as Lower Manhattan added during this period.**** Of course, the centerpiece of this building boom is the World Trade Center complex which at its height contained 13.4 million square feet of office space, representing approximately 4% of the entire available office space in Manhattan at the time. But the development in the area goes far beyond simply the construction of the World Trade Center. The Chase Manhattan Bank headquarters (completed 1961), the Home Insurance building (completed 1965) and the Jacob Javits federal office building (completed in 1968) are just a few of the construction successes.*****

In the area of education Lower Manhattan dramatically expanded its holdings including the Borough of Manhattan Community College (Washington Street urban renewal project), New York University Graduate School of Business and a newly constructed 2-block campus for Pace University and the DLMA sponsored Murry Bergtraum High School in the Brooklyn Bridge southwest urban renewal area. Residential expansion included Chatham Green and Chatham Towers, the Southbridge Towers and the eventual completion of Battery Park City. There was also significant expansion of community services including the Beckman-Downtown Hospital and a downtown branch of the New York Public Library. A short list of cultural and recreational accomplishments includes the Museum of the American Indian located in the former U. S. Custom House, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the restoration of Bowling Green Park.

* RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 2.4, Box 197, Folder 1807. ** RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 2.4, Box 200, Folder 1823. *** RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 2.4, Box 200, Folder 1823. **** RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 2.4, Box 202, Folder 1830. ***** RAC, IV3B24 DLMA, Inc., Series 2.4, Box 200, Folder 1823.

Arrangement:

The records of the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association are arranged into four series:

Series 1 - Preceding Organizations (1937-1961) Series 2 - DLMA, Inc. (1958-1995) Series 3 - Alliance for Downtown New York, Inc. (Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District) (1975-1995) Series 1081 - Photographs and Audio Visual materials

The material within each series is further divided into subseries arranged by subject. The contents within each subseries are arranged according to the specific needs of the material presented. It is important to note that at the time of archival processing, the collection had been retained with no discernible order; therefore, the current arrangement of the collection does not represent the original order of the records.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related

Related material:

For further archival study of New York and Downtown Manhattan, please refer to:

"A Survey of Sources at the Rockefeller Archive Center for the History of New York." Edited by Ken Rose.

Rockefeller Family Archives, Record Group 15 - Nelson A. Rockefeller, Gubernatorial, Series 10 - Council's Office, Subseries 3 - Robert R. Douglass (1959-1972) (65 manuscript boxes, 26 cu. ft.)

Separated material:

The following publications were removed from the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, Inc. collection and placed in the Rockefeller Archive Center library. They are available for research use. Some items may be duplicate copies of items already found in the collection.

Series 2.4: Bulletins & Publications

D-LMA, Inc. "First Report" "Lower Manhattan Recommended Land Use Redevelopment Areas Traffic Improvements" October 14, 1953. (2 copies) Removed from Box 197, Folder 1807.

D-LMA, Inc. "Second Report" "Lower Manhattan Major Improvements Land use Transportation Traffic", November 1963. (2 copies) Removed from Box 199, Folder 1818.

D-LMA, Inc. "1958-1968: Ten Years of Progress," June 10, 1968. (2 copies) Removed from Box 200, Folder 1823.

D-LMA, Inc. "Fourth Report," 1973 (with June 1974 update). (2 copies) Removed from Box 200, Folder 1830.

Weill, Don. "The Reluctant Investor and Other Light Verse." New York: the Eldon Press, 1977. Removed from Box 203, Folder 1841.

Drucker, Hall and Sid Lerner. "From the Desk Of." San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers, 1989. [With handwritten inscription from Hal Drucker to Barbara Christen] Removed from Box 203, Folder 1841.

Sturchio, Jefferey L., ed. "Values and Visions: A Merck Century." Merck & Co., Inc. First Edition, July 1991. Removed from Box 203, Folder 1841.

Maxton-Graham, John. "Cunard: 150 Glorious Years." London: David and Charles Publishing, 1989. Removed from Box 230, Folder 1841.

Pushkarev, Boris with Jeffrey M. Zupan. "Urban Space for Pedestrians." A Report of the Regional Plan Association. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1975. Removed from Box 203, Folder 1841.

Francisco Hidalgo. "Hong Kong." A. N. Iskaros (Publisher), 1980. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation [in Commemoration of the Centenary of the opening in 1880 of their New York office, 1880-1980] Removed from Box 203, Folder 1841.

Series 2.5: Reports & Studies "A Reexamination of Battery Park City", Vollmer Associates, Inc. Prepared for D-LMA, Inc., April 24, 1979. (2 copies) Removed from Box 208, Folder 1862.

"Evaluation of New York City Convention and Exhibition Center at Battery Park City." Prepared for D-LMA, Inc. Prepared by: Vollmer Associates, September 24, 1976 [appears to be the final version of this report] (2 copies) Removed from Box 211, Folder 1879.

"Comparative Evaluation - Proposed Convention Center Sites - Battery Park City, Coliseum, 44th Street, 30th Street, Railroad Yard, Times Square". Vollmer Associates. Prepared for D-LMA, Inc., March 31, 1977. (2 copies) Removed from Box 211, Folder 1881.

"Lower Manhattan: The Best Site for New York City's Convention Center". Brochure. DLMA, Inc. (2 copies) Removed from Box 212, Folder 1883.

"Special Greenwich Street Development District". Office of the Lower Manhattan Development, Office of the Mayor, City of New York, 1971. (1 copy) Removed from Box 212, Folder 1890.

"Housing Potential 1967-1982 - Lower Manhattan Proposed Waterfront Community on the Hudson". James Felt & Company, Inc. Prepared for D-LMA, Inc. November 1, 1967. (2 copies) Removed from Box 213, Folder 1892.

"Housing Potential Lower Manhattan". James Felt & Co., Inc. Prepared for D-LMA, Inc., December 1, 1971. Removed from Box 213, Folder 1894.

"To Preserve A Heritage: The Restoration and Utilization of Historic Sites in Lower Manhattan", 1975. [Inside back of Title Page: "The Mayors Office of Lower Manhattan. Development in cooperation with the NYC Bicentennial Corporation. A publication to honor the nation's 200th year, made possible by grants from corporations and institutions in New York City"]. Removed from Box 214, Folder 1900.

"Lower Manhattan Expressway: An Essential Key to the Business Growth and Job Opportunities in Lower Manhattan and New York City". D-LMA, Inc. July 1, 1964. (2 copies) Removed from Box 215, Folder 1905.

Lower Manhattan People Mover, 1976-1977. "A Downtown People Mover System for Lower Manhattan". A project proposal submitted to: United States Department of Transportation, Urban Mass Transportation Administration, Office of Research and Development, AGT Application Division. Submitted by: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, June 30, 1976. Removed from Box 215, Folder 1915.

"Planning for Lower Manhattan: A Report to the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, Inc." Vollmer Associates. Submitted by D-LMA Planning Committee Chairman Desmond Crawford to D-LMA Chairman David Rockefeller and D-LMA President Edmund Wagner, January 7, 1969. (1 copy) Removed from Box 216, Folder 1919.

"Plan for Lower Manhattan" (NYC DCP93-24) Prepared by the Department of City Planning with the support of the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association (October 1993). (2 copies) Removed from Box 217, Folder 1921.

"STOL Port Manhattan" Preliminary Study by the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, Inc., January 29, 1971. (Short Take-Off and Landing) (2 copies) Removed from Box 219, Folder 1940.

"Report to the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, Inc. of a Study of an Additional Subway Line to serve Downtown Manhattan via Water Street". Coverdale & Colpitts, June 15, 1966. (2 copies) Removed from Box 220, Folder 1941.

"Report to the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, Inc. on Specific Questions Raised by the City of New York with respect to the Water Street Subway". Coverdale &Colpitts, January 27, 1967. (2 copies) Removed from Box 220, Folder 1942.

"Report to the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, Inc. of a Study of Improvements in Capacity of Four Downtown Subway Stations". Coverdale & Colpitts, February 10, 1967. (2 copies) Removed from Box 220, Folder 1943.

"Downtown Lower Manhattan Subway/Development Impact Study" Prepared for D-LMA by Vollmer Associates, September 16, 1983. (2 copies) Removed from Box 221, Folder 1947.

"A Study of Travel Patterns" D-LMA, Inc. February 15, 1961. (2 copies) Removed from Box 221, Folder 1951

"Parking and Transportation Considerations Downtown Manhattan". Prepared for: Community Planning Board No. 1. Prepared by: Wilbur Smith and Associates (Transportation and Urban Planning Consultants), September 1972. (Copy 2) [Placed inside the front cover is a list of resolutions from Community Board No. 1] Removed from Box 222, Folder 1952.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Education
Arts
Business
Social service
Recreation
Regional planning
Urban policy
City planning
Urban renewal
Urban policy -- New York (State) -- New York
Commerce
Regional planning -- New York (N.Y.)
Urban policy -- New York Metropolitan Area

Places:

New York (N.Y.)

Restrictions:

Open for research with select materials restricted as noted. Brittle or damaged items, or those not available in modern formats, are available at the discretion of RAC.

Terms of access:

The Rockefeller Archive Center has title, copyright, and literary rights in the collection, in so far as it holds them, and has authority to grant permission to cite and publish archival material from the collection.

Location of this collection:

Rockefeller Archive Center

15 Dayton Avenue

Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591, United States

Link to repository site

Contact: