Billionaires, Bruised Egos and the Death of a Grand Project
For Barry Diller, the turning point came at a Sept. 5 settlement meeting with the small band of opponents who had tied up his plans for a $250 million park and cultural center in the Hudson River for more than two years.
At the Manhattan headquarters of his company, IAC/InterActive Corporation, Mr. Diller and the film and theater producer Scott Rudin, who he had enlisted to help plan the programming, provided an overview of the pier’s dazzling design, the ambitious performances they envisioned and their outreach to local schools.
But, Mr. Diller said, their grand vision was met by a chorus of petty questions: What would signage at the pier be like? Would VIPs get special treatment at performances? And what would they do about dogs? . . .