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"It's the 120-foot-in-diameter clock the architects who designed the otherwise spectacular new Whitehall ferry terminal in Lower Manhattan say is a wonderful touch of whimsy, but which most people say looks like King Kong's pocketwatch," read an Advance editorial in December 1993, referring to this proposed Whitehall Ferry Terminal model.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- This clock would've made the ferry look small.

Yes, an enormous 120-foot-in-diameter clock almost became the welcoming sight for Manhattan-bound commuters aboard the Staten Island Ferry.

We're not kidding.

The monstrous Flava Flav-esque timepiece was the cornerstone of a proposal for the Whitehall Ferry Terminal following a fire that destroyed the site in 1991.

Though the proposal included aspects of building design, traffic flow and comfort, it was the clock that garnered the most attention -- for the wrong reasons.

In January 1993, two months after it was unveiled in a proposal, the Advance wrote:

The design ... calls for an enormous, round 120-foot-high clock facing the harbor to greet incoming boats, taking a prominent position on the Manhattan skyline.

As the most noticeable element of the proposal, the clock has seized the public imagination and angered some commuters, who think it is both unnecessary and silly.

Regarding the clock, reactions from nearly a half-dozen Island architects ranged from ''whimsical'' and ''humorous'' to ''out of scale,'' ''gross'' and ''foolish.''

An editorial later that year referred to it as "King Kong's pocketwatch."

Subsequent protests against the design from Islanders and the city fiscal crisis forced that design to be scrapped.

A brand new Whitehall terminal (one with smaller, digital clocks) finally opened in February 2005, more than 13 years after the previous one burned down -- and after nearly six years of construction following almost a decade of no fully-functioning Manhattan terminal.

But who's keeping time?

We know many of you would rather forget this part of history, but do you remember the fuss over this plan? Did any of you actually like it? Share your recollections in the comment section below.