| <BITE TRT :06- Larry Kemp/ <BITE TRT: Sarah Lansdale/ Executive Director of Sustainable L.I. Close up of Rexcorp Logo and Project Lighthouse Office. <BITE TRT:10- Rexcorp Dude/ Rexcorp> Cut away with Aerial shot of project land. Project Shots or STANDUP?? <BITE TRT: 08- RICHARD V. GUARDINO/ Development Expert> Project Lighthouse Stock Shots Show Sustainable LI Exterior Sign/ Early cut-in of interview while I VO <BITE TRT: 05- Sarah Lansdale/ Executive Director Sustainable | THIS LAND THAT I AM STANDING ON RIGHT NOW IS A HOT ISSUE IN Lauren Brookmeyer/ Nassau Resident: “I think that the jobs they are going to put in place is great for a lot of people, However as a Larry Kemp/ Nassau Resident: “Going to work is going to be a problem, the roads are going to be a problem” Sarah Lansdale/ Executive Director of Sustainable LI: “ There is still some more information that needs to come out and more studies regarding the lighthouse, for instance the um traffic and how to accommodate all those extra cars.” HOWEVER, REXCORP, THE MAJOR DEVELOPING COMPANY ON PROJECT LIGHTHOUSE SAYS THEY’VE ALREADY BEEN DOING THEIR HOMEWORK ON THE TRAFFIC ISSUE. REXCORP SAYS THE HOLDUP ON PROJECT LIGHTHOUSE IS SO THEY CAN CAREFULLY TRY AND SOLVE ISSUES LIKE TRAFFIC, HOWEVER THE PROJECT HAS JUST RECENTLY HAD SOME MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MAY BE GETTING CLOSER TO BECOMING A REALITY. Richard Guardino/ Development Expert: Yesterday, the town board passed a resolution where they designated the town of Hempstead as the lead agency for the environmental study program- they also did a so called positive declaration meaning this project is definitely going to have an environmental impact (2:22) IN FACT IF THE PLANS DO WORKOUT, GROUND BREAKING COULD TAKE PLACE AS SOON AS. SARAH LANSDALE FROM SUSTAINABLE Sarah Lansdale/ Executive Director of Sustainable Long Island: “The light house is such an interesting project because it has the potential to really create a new community and a new downtown for L.I. it, I think, has the potential to retain kinda LI’s youth, ah recent college graduates, things like that as well as be a huge economic engine for Long Island.” RECORP SAYS THIS POSITIVE DECLARATION WILL BENEFIT |
Thursday, April 17, 2008
PROJECT SCRIPT
"The Proposed Redevlopment of The Nassau Coliseum: Project Lighthouse."
In
Many people see the benefits this large scale project would offer.
Sarah Lansdale from Sustainable Long Island, a group committed to positive growth on Long Island, feels that new housing in an area like this will make the
Rexcorp, well known for large development on
This project was first proposed back in 2004 but continues to get closer to becoming a reality, especially with the declaration, Rexcorp anticipates ground breaking happening sometime in the summer of 2009. Schaefer says Rexcorp wants to really work carefully because one step to fast and in the wrong direction could lead to a law suit and result in a cancellation of the entire project.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Final Project Memo
Working on this project has been a very unique experience. For the video, it is always challenging to squeeze many interviews down to one short, edited piece. I think I did I good job, however, capturing the most informative sounds bites and piecing them together to tell a good story. This is a project that I am proud to have in my portfolio. It shows great use of multi-media and demonstrates great practice in tagging and linking to more information, a practice that will continue to be useful as we get further into the internet age.
I ran into some difficulties in the reporting aspect of this project. Most people I spoke with, at least with the officials, were almost all in favor of Project Lighthouse. I knew with any large development project, while they create many news jobs, cost lots of money and create traffic issues. It was when I got out into the community and started asking people about how they felt that I really got some opposition to the project. I worked hard to have many people to interview so that I would be representing all views on the project. Other than that, I got some great interviews with more than enough b-roll (extra footage). My favorite interview was at Rexcorp in the office of the lighthouse development group, the people working day and night on making this project become a reality, because I was able to see their life sized model of the project space, right outside their window. They also showed me a "desk model" of the project and explained where every new building would be located as well as their plan for parking for it.
Technically, I ran into some difficulty with the editing software, windows movie maker. Perhaps I waited a bit to long to edit my final piece together,trying to do it fast. Since I had already completed my interviews and even arranged them on paper in script form days before, I figured I was ahead. Boy, was I wrong! I had to use another computer and re-upload and edit all my video. Other technical things that could be cleaned up for next time would be the sound on the FLIP cams. I think there is a way to adjust the microphone sensitivity. There were several interviews I had where the interviewee was right next to the mic and it should have been lowered. The result was over amplification and a slightly annoying sound during the video.
In general, I am happy with the result. Coming from a broadcast background, I am not used to being able to express myself in such a free format and with the ability to connect everything together so well. I am happy that my interviews, some of which were quite elaborate, get to be viewed in their entirety as part of the project. I really think the subjects had some very valid opinions for and against the project.
For the future of this project, I would recommend more training and trouble shooting with movie maker and perhaps the school will spring for a more advanced editing software like Adobe Premier elements which is essentially an "easier-to-use, AVID." And of course when dealing with technology I urge future classes to follow professor Krochmal's advice: Any project dealing with computers and technology will take you twice as long as you think it is going to- so plan for that.
TRANSCRIBED INTERVIEW WITH DR. RICHARD GUARDINO
INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR RICHARD GUARDINO, LI DEVELOPMENT EXPERT AND HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR.
Q: To your understanding, what will be the Lighthouses’ benefit to LI?
A: I think it has tremendous economic benefit, I think that one of the problems we have on the Island right now is that there is not sufficient amount of corporate office space here (:13) if you look at the population of LI which is actually double that of Westchester, we have the exact same amount of office space here on the island and what we need to attract because the cost of living is very high here are high paying jobs (:29) and so I think if we can develop this new suburban center, we can attract some top notch corporate head quarters here and I think that will have a number of benefits, first of all it will help (:44) us in terms of the tax base and provide high paying jobs. I think having this kind of center also gives us an opportunity to provide housing both for young people and for people that are more mature (:58) right now most of out housing stock here on LIU is sing family homes and I think we need more mixed use developments that will bring in a range of different types of housing and this project provides that- everything from High end condos down to townhouses are incorporated in the project (1:19) So I think that’s a benefit as well. Hopefully there’ll be a next generation or affordable housing component as well to provide desperately needed affordable housing here on the island. So I think it will be an economic generator in terms of jobs (1:36) - I think it can provide some housing, I think it can be an attractive place for people to go umm certainly having this 2 billion dollar complex is going to generate more property and sales taxes is well.
Q: Have you heard about people opposed to the project? What are some of their major arguments?
A: The critical issue in terms of the environmental impact is going to be the traffic and they are starting the traffic studies now. Yesterday, the town board passed a resolution where they designated the town of Hempstead as the lead agency for the environmental study program- they also did a so called positive declaration meaning this project is definitely going to have an environmental impact (2:22) So the process is starting, and critical, I mean the first thing people in the neighborhood are asking about- what is going to happen with the traffic. People aren’t happen with some of the traffic on
Interview with William Schaefer
William Schaefer- Lighthouse Development Group at Rexcorp
Q: Who came up with the initial idea for Project Lighthouse and when was it first proposed?
A: Initial idea came from Charles Wang, who is as you know the owner of the Islanders. Initially, the thought for Charles, you know he bought the team, which was probably going to leave Long Island and saved the team and kept it on Long Island and quickly realized that the economics of doing business in the coliseum weren’t so great, the team was losing money and continues to lose money today and he is doing everything he can to keep it here on Long Island. He feels very strongly that’s the right thing to do, it’s part of LI’s identity. So he went to the county and said, I’m a tenant in the building I don’t own the coliseum, you own the coliseum I can’t conduct business here the way I should, it should be a first class facility, please let’s fix the coliseum.
The county came back and said we really don’t have the money, the county has a long history of just making the budget every year, there is rarely a surplus. And the county said maybe there’s another way we can do this to fund the necessary improvements to the coliseum for the Islanders to conduct business and stay here on the
Q: From where you stand right now, how long do you anticipate till actually breaking ground on this project?
A: Charles and the team were are committed to breaking ground on the coliseum, july 2009. (6:20) We hope to be through the secret process somewhere in early summer 2009 and we can actually start doing some of the work in the coliseum without any other approvals except for a work permit that would be the inner bowl, we would like to do that, but we would have to have some approvals before we take that risk and do something like that. (6:41)
Q: How would this benefit Long Islanders in general?
A: Well, Nassau county in particular has what has been identified as a flat line economy (6:58) and it’s not a place of growth as it was fifty years ago with the development that happened in Levittown and all around here- when you look out the window here at Rexcorp plaza, you can see all this development happened a long time ago and this was a wonderful place for young people to come because it was growing, (7:15) places that are growing create lots and lots of jobs, create lots and lots of opportunities, they’re exciting places to be. (7:24) This is the first suburb in the US and it’s the most mature, and it’s not so attractive for kids to come here like, I’ve grown up on LI and all my friends are gone, they a long time ago decided to live other places, like Rolley and Atlanta and Chattanooga, these places that are just growing, we’re not growing here and it’s scary, and its also because there’s no growth the tax burden has been put on all the homeowners and it makes it very very expensive to live here (8:01) it’s sort of a double edge sword its an old place and its an expensive place, and it’s not so attractive for young people and it’s a little scary to see the brain drain that’s going on so obviously when you do growth in an area as you know NYC never stops growing and its an exciting place once you start growing and creating opportunities and exciting places its going to help the economy through number 1, lessening the tax burden, creating lots and lots of jobs, creating new types of housing, not just single family homes (8:37) where kids would have to rent an apartment in the basement of a house but creating different housing products for young professionals to come here and start their lives on LI and hopefully stay there. (8:52) This will also obviously also keep the Long Islanders on Li and hopefully create a destination on Li that people will come and enjoy for many years. We hope that will be a real symbol of LI’s new growth. That’s to be determined and its really up to the town of
TRANSCRIBED INTERVIEW WITH SARAH LANSDALE
Sarah Lansdale- Executive Director of Sustainable L.I.
Q: Do you see the LightHouse on L.I. as a positive development?
A: Definitely, the light house is such an interesting project because it has the potential to really create a new community and a new downtown for L.I. it, I think, has the potential to retain kinda LI’s youth, ah recent college graduates, things like that as well as be a huge economic engine for Long Island.
Q: Any major problems with Project Lighthouse?
A: I think there is still some more information that needs to come out and more studies regarding the lighthouse, for instance the um traffic and how to accommodate all those extra cars, that area is already congested, especially congested with the coliseum when there is concerts and sports or hockey games or things like that so there really needs to me more analysis done on traffic and how they are going to mitigate all of the traffic, the additional cars.
Q: What about reactions positive or negative from Long Islanders?
A: I’ve heard a lot of positive reactions to the project, I’ve also heard some negative ones especially for surrounding communities like Garden City residents are a little concerned about how this is going to impact their quality of life, but overall I’ve heard a really positive response from this project.