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Parks & Public Spaces
Application from Facebook to hold “Facebook Virtual Reality Tour,” a special event to promote virtual reality technology, in the northwest corner of Bryant Park from November 19 to December 27, 2016
WHEREAS, Jack Morton Worldwide, on behalf of Facebook, Inc. ("Applicant") has submitted an application for a commercial event for Facebook to promote virtual reality technology in Bryant Park (the "Park") from November 19 to December 27, 2016; and
WHEREAS, The Event will consist of a small building (the "tent") with transparent walls and doors of measurements 41 feet wide by 41 feet long by 17 feet tall, with two queues to enter said building and within said building up to 24 stations for members of the public to experience the technology; and
WHEREAS, The Event will permit members of the public to wear a virtual reality headset and experience a seven-minute video to demonstrate the capabilities of contemporary virtual reality technology, to consist of footage depicting locations around the world, with no commercial or promotional content whatsoever; and
WHEREAS, The only materials to be distributed are small three-inch by three-inch magnets, and only to members of the public who try the technology; and
WHEREAS, The Event will take place on Mondays through Fridays from 11 AM to 8 PM, on Saturday from 10 AM to 9 PM, and on Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM; and
WHEREAS, The tent will load in from 10PM on November 16 until 8 AM on November 17, and other exhibits and technology loading in from 4:00AM on November 17 until 8 AM November 18, and breakdown will occur from 10PM on December 27 until 7 AM on December 28; and
WHEREAS, The Event will have at least 24 staffers inside the tent, one for each virtual reality station, and a small number of extra staff/security to manage the queue; and
WHEREAS, The Event will have no amplified sound, as well as no generator, as electricity is to be provided via the Winter Village grid, and subcontractors responsible for sanitation, waste disposal, and security have already been acquired; and
WHEREAS, Staffers will be provided with sanitization equipment and training to sanitize the virtual reality equipment between uses by the public; and
WHEREAS, The Event is free and open to the public, except for those under the age of 13, and for those between the ages of 13 and 18 the signature of a parent or guardian will be required to try the technology; and
WHEREAS, There will be no signage except for the "Facebook" text logo on the tent itself and small stanchion toppers on the stanchions organizing the queue; and
WHEREAS, While the footprint of the Event is large and close to the skating rink, the area it occupies was found to be an underutilized "dead zone" in previous years of the Winter Village, and its placement is satisfactory to the Bryant Park Conservancy and does not impact navigation otherwise; and
WHEREAS, While the duration of the Event raises concerns, it is contextual for the Winter Village, a market that occupies Bryant Park for several weeks; and
WHEREAS, While the Event is commercial in nature, it will also provide a contribution that helps provide the Bryant Park Conservancy's Winter Village amenities, in particular, free public admission to the Winter Village skating rink; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has agreed to take Community Board Five's concerns regarding language into account regarding its notices on the stanchion toppers; be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval for the application from Facebook to hold "Facebook Virtual Reality Tour," a special event to promote virtual reality technology, in the northwest corner of Bryant Park from November 19 to December 27, 2016.