Investor Behind Pier 55 Accuses Real Estate Tycoon of Backing Project's Opponents

CHELSEA, NY — How does a small civic group sue a media mogul for a massive development on the Hudson? By getting money from the mogul's competition, according to the New York Times.

Barry Diller, the backer of the Pier 55 project that is a 2.7 million acre park, accused his competition of funding the case against the project.

"The backer of all this is one Douglas Durst," Diller said in a recent interview, The New York Times reported. Durst is a co-owner of The Durst Foundation, a real estate company in New York City. The Durst Foundation declined to comment Tuesday on Diller's accusation.

The New York City Club, the civic group behind the lawsuit, said it was making the decisions in its case.

"All I can tell you is that this case is controlled by my clients, and Douglas Durst has nothing to do with any decision or actions that are taken in this case," The City Club's attorney Richard Emery told Patch.

"City Club is calling all the shots on the lawsuit and is making all final decisions," a spokesperson for The City Club told Patch, in regards to Diller's accusation.

The City Club of New York sued Pier 55 in June 2015, claiming the park would harm the environment and that there was a lack of transparency in planning the project. The New York State Supreme Court heard arguments for the case Tuesday. Emery said a decision is expected in the near future, but it is unknown exactly when.

"We're eager to move forward with a spectacular public park that was strongly supported by the local community board and respected civic organizations, and approved by an array of state and federal agencies," the Hudson River Park Trust, the builder of the project, said in a statement after court adjourned Tuesday. "We're confident the court will rule in our favor and we'll resume construction soon."

Construction on Pier 55 was halted except for a few support structures to be installed in June after a New York state appellate court said the project needed to pause work until the case was heard on Tuesday.

Image courtesy of Pier 55