|
|
East River Waterfront
|
 |
|
|
The City of New York has proposed an ambitious plan for improving the East River Waterfront, a two-mile-long, City-owned public open space extending from the Battery Maritime Building in the south to Montgomery Street in the north.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
- Borough: Manhattan
- Piers 15 and 35 designed for public use
- Continuous waterfront bikeway/walkway connecting to the Manhattan Greenway
- New public open spaces
- New lighting, landscaping, and seating
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The East River Waterfront Esplanade and Piers Project (ERW) seeks to improve access to the waterfront, enhance pedestrian connectivity and create waterfront amenities for public use and enjoyment. The existing esplanade will be enhanced, new sections of esplanade will be created and several piers will be renovated and redeveloped.
As part of the continued revitalization of Lower Manhattan, the ERW Project is a bold and ambitious plan for a stretch of the New York City waterfront that currently suffers from weak connections, a lack of amenities, and underutilization. The project will contribute greatly to improved quality of life for local residents, workers and visitors alike.
The ERW project has received critical acclaim and recognition in national and international award ceremonies. In 2006, the project received the Excellence on the Waterfront Award from the Waterfront Center, which recognizes high quality waterfront plans and projects from all over the world. In 2008, SHoP Architects received the 55th Annual P/A Award for the project.
|
|
|
| PLANNING: A TEAM EFFORT |
|
In 2004 as a result of the Mayor’s Vision for a 21st Century Lower Manhattan, NYCEDC, the Department of City Planning, Department of Transportation, and Department of Parks and Recreation, with funding from LMDC, undertook a year-long study of the East River Waterfront in Lower Manhattan. The design team included architects, urban designers, landscape architects and engineers. All worked closely with the local community, area elected officials, City and State agencies, and civic associations to develop a waterfront concept plan.
The planning was a participatory and interactive process comprising over 70 separate meetings with community boards, tenant associations, civic leaders, maritime experts and local elected officials.
| |
| KEY FEATURES OF THE EAST RIVER ESPLANADE |
|
|
|
In response to input from the various groups, the East River Esplanade plan features:
- A comprehensive vision for a continuous waterfront esplanade;
- Improved connections to adjacent neighborhoods;
- New waterfront amenities; and
- New community, cultural, and recreational uses.
The plan includes bold new architectural and landscape architectural design ideas flexible enough to adjust to local conditions and respond to the diverse neighborhoods and communities adjacent to the East River.
The project will showcase NYCEDC’s continued emphasis on and innovation in sustainability through a variety of initiatives regarding open space, air and water quality, energy, climate change, and congestion. For example, lighting will be upgraded to low energy, long life cycle fixtures; recycled materials will be used for the project wherever feasible; regional, low maintenance plants will be used for landscaping; and rainwater harvesting will reduce the stormwater runoff into the existing system.
| |
| MOVING THE PROJECT FORWARD |
|
|
|
NYCEDC is currently implementing the East River Waterfront Esplanade project, working with partner City agencies in connection with the project design and construction. Uniform Land Use Review Procedure and environmental review were completed in Fall 2007. Design is currently underway, led by SHoP Architects, PC, and Ken Smith Landscape Architects, along with a joint venture of HDR and Arup engineers. Schematic Designs were completed in Fall 2007 and Design Development and Construction Documents are almost complete. The project will be built in two phases:
Phase I
Construction will include improvements to the existing esplanade to enforce continuity along the edge and connect a major broken link in the proposed Manhattan Greenway. It will include elements such as integrated lighting, paving, furniture and other programming. Additionally, small pavilions will be built under the FDR Drive for community and commercial uses. Pier 15 will be built as a two-level pier with educational programming and open space, and Pier 35, currently inaccessible to the public, will also be redeveloped into a destination pier with open space and an innovative habitat restoration project. A Class I Bikeway will be built along South Street, which will also be narrowed and reconstructed to improve traffic flow improvements.
For reasons of design, schedule, and cost, and as a result of the large project size, the ERW project will be constructed in stages. Construction of the esplanade from Wall Street to Maiden Lane is the first construction package, which began in Spring 2009. This portion of the project will showcase the Esplanade design including the seating, planting, paving, railing, and lighting that are proposed for the entire Esplanade. In these two blocks, there will also be unique amenities including steps that lead to the water’s edge at Wall Street. Future construction stages will begin throughout the rest of 2009 and into 2010, including Pier 15 and Pier 35.
Phase II
This phase will include completion of the esplanade, an urban beach at Pier 42, and a new Battery Maritime Building Plaza. Phase II is not yet funded.
| |
 |
|
|
| MORE INFORMATION |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| RELATED LINKS |
|
Receive Alerts
Sign up to receive email alerts when new or updated content is available on NYCEDC.com.
NYCIDA
Learn how the NYC Industrial Development Agency makes businesses more competitive.
Press Releases
Browse NYCEDC and NYCIDA press releases for the latest news on economic development in NYC.
|
| |
| PUBLICATIONS |
|
NYCVISION
View this newsletter outlining NYC economic development initiatives.
|
|
 |
|
|