Commerce Bank. Yuk?

I don't think it's that bad, although I don't see why they have to have their lights on when the bank is closed. Anyway, there is now an actual bank on 5th Ave and I don't have to go to the checks cashed place to get money. I'll take it. 5th Ave has come a loooooooong way. Not everyone is going to be happy about these changes, but I think we need to keep things in perspective and not forget how things used to be not all that long ago.

People were up in arms because the original proposal was for a drive-through bank like the one at the southeast corner of the park -- which seemed like a fairly stupid and dangerous thing to put on Fifth Avenue where there are so many pedestrians.

Anonymous wrote: People were up in arms because the original proposal was for a drive-through bank like the one at the southeast corner of the park -- which seemed like a fairly stupid and dangerous thing to put on Fifth Avenue where there are so many pedestrians.

I think that what we ended up with is way better than what they were proposing.

http://www.naparstek.com/2005/03/breaking-bank.php has the story and a photo of something similar to what was proposed before the community convinced them to redesign.

I live on First Street and the people around here did not want the drive thru but were okay after the re-design. If they had known about the 2000 watts of light that would be shinning after the placed closed they might of had a problem with that as well. But hey - where else can you go to get all of your loose change put into cash without a charge?

Subject: bank fight wasn't about aesthetics

Kensingtonmom wrote: Boy were people up in arms over that bank. I can't believe the energy put into stopping it--if we could channel that energy we could bring about world peace!

Kmom, Park Slope Neighbors was never trying to prevent the bank from moving in. We were pushing the bank to come up with a design appropriate for the site. We didn't get too involved in the bank's aesthetic choices, our concerns were more functional: The planned drive-thru, the parking in front of the building along the sidewalk, the gigantic, plastic, glowing Taco Bell-style sign that they originally wanted to put on the corner. We got them to change all that. Folks can definitely still argue whether the new building is pretty or not.

As for night time light problems -- bring that up with the bank. But make sure you consult First St Block Association and the Fifth Ave Merchants first. You might find a number of people who think lots of lighting on the corner there is a good thing. There's a long memory of when the old gas station parking lot was used by drug addicts and as a launching pad for burglaries.

Subject: Re: bank fight wasn't about aesthetics

[quote/]Kmom, Park Slope Neighbors was never trying to prevent the bank from moving in. We were pushing the bank to come up with a design appropriate for the site.

Listen I don't blame you regarding the fight--it is only fair that what is built in a neighborhood is accepted and reviewed by the community. I too have fought against developers just plopping whatever they want on a vacant lot. I just remember these histrionic postings on the Park Slope Parents board about the bank. Apparently many people were going to die because of that bank and the danger posed by the drive-through. A couple of my friends were totally irrational about it. I just thought at the time that there has GOT to be better fights out there to expend this much energy on.

a drive through bank is probably one of hte dumbest ideas ever! not alot of people drive here .

daniel wrote: [quote=armchair_warrior]a drive through bank is probably one of hte dumbest ideas ever! not alot of people drive here .

The constant traffic on our streets says otherwise.
Not really. It's just that cars take up so much space that it seems like there are a lot of people driving.

Next time you're on 7th Avenue on a weekend, or 5th after work, or just about anywhere, really, count all the people on the block walking vs. all of the people on the block in a car.

As for better fights, I think the drive-through has huge symbolic value. Park Slope is one of the few livable urban areas in the country. Stopping the drive through sends the important message that this is not suburbia.

Subject: Re: Commerce didn’t shovel

Lavern wrote: Walking down 5th Ave today, the sidewalks in front of small business were shoveled. Commerce didn’t shovel at all.

Actually - they did shovel today, around 4:00 pm.

I like that it is bright - keeps muggers away

they have a wonderful mural of what Park Slope used to look like

Even before the time of the mural Park Slope was farmland. Before the Dutch and English settled here, it was probably mostly undisturbed forest. I wish Commerce Bank had considered THAT in their design.

Lets move on already. The bank is fine. Not every new building can be a recreation of an 1890's brownstone and, FYI, banks stopped building giant cathedral style building with high vaulted ceilings about 60 years ago. It's a bank for heaven's sake on a commercial block. Its well lit (a nice change from the dark, razor wire encircled, gas station/parking garage that was there before), and not overdone or cheap looking. Would I nominate it for any design awards - absolutely not. But PSN did a great job getting them to eliminate the set-back and the drive through tellers.

Subject: Re: all commerce banks look the same...

cat wrote: the energy that went into stopping the drive thru could have been equally channelled to get a better design. AND not cut down the trees that were in that lot. park slope neighbors, which i know is trying to do good things, sent around this letter applauding the bank because they were going to lose money by not putting in the drive thru. i really thought that was stretching it.

Cat, the petition we presented to the bank did ask them to implement a better design. The building that stands today is 100% better than the fast-food style building they originally planned to build, though of course it's not perfect. We did push them to build a mixed-use structure with a couple floors of housing upstairs, but they did not want to be landlords. Remember, they could have built whatever they wanted there. And our letter lauded the bank for eliminating the drive-thru and altering their building - the re-design cost them significant money vs. the original plan. We never said anything about them losing money without the drive-thru; in fact, they're probably making more money without it.

The answer to all of this is that more people need to get involved in their neighborhoods in order to be able to make real change.

Subject: Re: all commerce banks look the same...

Thanks Eric for this note. I feel I would have pushed for more (those who think it's fine you are entitled to your opinion, of course.). I agree about more people getting involved - I am already involved in a multitude of issues and could not take on one more at that point. I do think everyone should be involved in some way in their community or national issues, etc. It seems that the same people are involved in issues to the point of getting worn out while others sit on the sidelines staying isolated from any activism and involvement and really we all need to be involved.

Thanks.

cat.

Eric wrote: [quote=cat]the energy that went into stopping the drive thru could have been equally channelled to get a better design. AND not cut down the trees that were in that lot. park slope neighbors, which i know is trying to do good things, sent around this letter applauding the bank because they were going to lose money by not putting in the drive thru. i really thought that was stretching it.

Cat, the petition we presented to the bank did ask them to implement a better design. The building that stands today is 100% better than the fast-food style building they originally planned to build, though of course it's not perfect. We did push them to build a mixed-use structure with a couple floors of housing upstairs, but they did not want to be landlords. Remember, they could have built whatever they wanted there. And our letter lauded the bank for eliminating the drive-thru and altering their building - the re-design cost them significant money vs. the original plan. We never said anything about them losing money without the drive-thru; in fact, they're probably making more money without it.

The answer to all of this is that more people need to get involved in their neighborhoods in order to be able to make real change.