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Parks & Public Spaces
Application from Elliot Winick Productions for a LEGO installation in Father Duffy Square from Thursday, May 23 through Sunday, May 26, 2013
At the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, May 09, 2013, the following resolution passed with a unanimous vote of 33 in favor; 1 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, Elliot Winick Productions ("Applicant") has submitted an application for a LEGO installation in Father Duffy Square from Thursday, May 23 through Sunday, May 26, 2013; and
WHEREAS, An unveiling event will take place on Thursday, the first day of the event, with overall set-up commencing at 12:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 23rd and clean-up completed by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 26; and
WHEREAS, The installation will consist of the largest LEGO structure ever assembled, measuring 46' x 46' x 12', and will be installed in the adjacent Pedestrian Plaza, with overhang in the western section of Father Duffy Square; and
WHEREAS, The installation has been assembled in Europe over the last year and will be concealed until the unveiling by a truss structure, with the structure to be completely removed on the first day of the event following the unveiling, thereby significantly reducing the event's footprint on Father Duffy Square for the remainder of the event; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant intends to use video monitors at the corners of the event area for photo opportunities with children, as well as the American Eagle screen in Times Square during the reveal only, but signage would be limited to the siding of the truss structure and would be removed after Thursday, greatly reducing the signage at the event; and
WHEREAS, Amplified sound will consist of emcee announcements only, and Applicant has agreed to use several small speakers rather than two large speakers, to minimize overall sound and contain it to the event area; and
WHEREAS, Recording will be limited to press coverage during the reveal only, with no direct recording of or interviews with members of the public, with posting to disclose that recording is taking place near the reveal; and
WHEREAS, The event will feature four Master Builder workshops a day to groups of thirty children of all ages at a time, offering interactive and educational components in the form of hands-on working sessions with four of the world's ten "LEGO Master Builders", encouraging constructive activities that involve problem-solving skill sets and cognitive development; and
WHEREAS, In addition, the event will feature a "make-and-take" area where children can receive and assemble mini-model kits at work stations, with 30,000 such kits available over the duration of the event; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has arranged for private sanitation and security in coordination with Sanitation and NYPD; and the event would bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to SAPO and the Parks Department, as well as an additional significant fee to the Times Square Alliance; and
WHEREAS, Father Duffy Square would remain completely open and accessible to the public for the majority of the event, including full accommodation for the TKTS steps and booths at all times; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has worked well with Community Board Five in the past and is responsive to the Board's concerns, and volunteered to remove a large part of its proposed display and signage, thereby vastly reducing its footprint; and has incorporated educational, interactive and entertainment components for children; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the application from Elliot Winick Productions for a LEGO installation in Father Duffy Square from Thursday, May 23 through Sunday, May 26, 2013.