Head of Battery Park City Authority Resigns, New CEO Named

FINANCIAL DISTRICT, NY — The chairman and CEO of Battery Park City's governing board resigned Tuesday after helming the state-run board for the last six years, the authority announced Tuesday. Dennis Mehiel resigned effective immediately during the board's monthly meeting on Tuesday.

“It has been an honor to serve as chairman of the Battery Park City Authority,” said Mehiel in a statement. “I hope that we are better managed, better engaged, and better integrated with the greater Downtown community than when I arrived."

The Battery Park City Authority did not respond to questions on why Mehiel is stepping down. He was one of three board members serving with an expired term, according to state senator Brian Kavanagh.

Board member George J. Tsunis, who was appointed by Governor Cuomo last June, will fill Mehiel's shoes as chairman and B.J. Jones, who was selected as the board's COO and the Battery Park City president in January, will take over as the new CEO.

The authority oversees 92 acres of state-owned land in Lower Manhattan, which includes 36 acres of parks, 10 million square feet of commercial space and 7.2 million square feet of housing. The board has made headlines for its lack of local representation, with no one currently serving who actually lives in Battery Park City.

Legislation to require local residency passed the state Assembly and the Senate in March and the bill guarantees Battery Park City residents have at least two seats at the table. Local pols hope that Gov. Cuomo takes the opportunity to swiftly appoint a Battery Park City resident to take Mehiel's place.

"Now that a seat on the BPCA Board is officially vacant, Governor Cuomo must act immediately and nominate a Battery Park City resident to fill the vacancy," said State Senator Kavanagh and Assemblymembers Deborah Glick and Yuh-Line Niou in a joint statement. "He should also embrace the spirit of the law — which requires at least two members of the board be residents — and nominate a resident to replace another member serving under an expired term."

Mehiel announced during the board's monthly meeting Tuesday that Gov. Cuomo has nominated Martha Gallo to return to the Battery Park City Authority Board. Gallo, who was the only Battery Park City resident on the board when she left, resigned last April after serving on the board for six years.

Image courtesy of Kristin Borden/Patch