Florence adopting Tribeca
By JOSH ROGERS
A business group from Florence, Italy is adopting Tribeca as its “sister city” and will help raise money for neighborhood children and struggling businesses at a fundraiser celebrating Italian culture this Thursday.

Downtown favors West St. tunnel, poll says
By JOSH ROGERS
Most people living in Battery Park City think building a short tunnel under West St. is at least somewhat important if not a top priority, according to a new poll of Lower Manhattan residents.

Private school to open
By ELIZABETH O'BRIEN
Lower Manhattan parents and students dreading a public middle school application process that leaves them few local choices will have a new option next year, with the opening of the private Downtown School in September, 2004.

Disputed ballot, but new Southbridge president is clear
By ALBERT AMATEAU
The election for the Southbridge Towers co-op board of directors earlier this month is under review by the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal after a series of missteps in the voting process and a disputed run-off between two of the candidates.

Bond firm adjusts design for new Tribeca building
By ELIZABETH O'BRIEN with JOSH ROGERS
A bond-trading firm that wants to move its new office and living space to Tribeca altered the design of a building it plans to construct on Greenwich St. after the community objected to its height and other aspects.

13 Downtown parks to get $25 million
By JOSH ROGERS
The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. will spend $25 million to create or improve 13 Downtown parks or plazas within the next two years. Most of the improvements will be finished within a year and “all will be done within 21 months” said Madelyn Wils, a member of the L.M.D.C. board of directors. Wils has worked with the city Parks Dept. on the agency’s document detailing how it will spend the L.M.D.C. money.

B.P.C.A. moves closer to buying Pier A
By JANE FLANAGAN
The takeover of Pier A by the Battery Park City Authority moved one step closer to reality this week after Community Board 1 gave the idea unanimous support.

Owners push for Hudson Sq. business district
By ALBERT AMATEAU
A group of property owners in Hudson Sq., a commercial neighborhood that is becoming more residential, met last week to discuss the proposal for a Business Improvement District in the area roughly between Canal and Morton Sts., west of Sixth Ave.

Petition begins against new ferry terminal
By JANE FLANAGAN
Sitting at Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City on a recent sunny weekday morning, Heather LaGarde was helping her 3-year-old daughter with an art project and enjoying the view. She is glad the warmer weather is finally here and plans to continue to travel to the park every day from her home on the Lower East Side.

Lopez wins right to run for reelection
By LINCOLN ANDERSON
Saying she was confident all along of the outcome, Councilmember Margarita Lopez was still elated to find out last week that the Appellate Division had reversed the lower State Supreme Court’s March decision that would have prevented her and five Council colleagues from seeking another two years in office.