Work continues on Piers 25 and 26 - pictured here in Septeber 2009

With so much construction active downtown, it’s sometimes easy to forget that river-to-river rebuilding also includes work over the rivers themselves. To the east, the city EDC is making steady progress on the East River Esplanade project, and on the west side, Piers 25 and 26 are being recreated as new park space.

The Hudson River Park Trust is the New York State and City partnership established in 1998 to restore and rebuild five miles of Manhattan’s western shoreline -- the borough’s largest open-space project since the completion of Central Park. Since 2006, the Trust has been developing new recreation areas to serve the Tribeca community and all of Lower Manhattan on those two piers, located just north of Battery Park City.

At the helm of the Trust is Connie Fishman, its president and CEO. Having served in the Department of City Planning and other local agencies, Ms. Fishman has been on the Trust’s executive team since 1999. Her charge is to complete Hudson River Park’s design and major construction by the end of this year, along with improving the estuarine habitat, providing free or low-cost public recreation, and ensuring the park’s future financial self-sufficiency -- goals that are now becoming reality.

We asked Ms. Fishman three questions about how the rebuilt Piers 25 and 26 will benefit both land and river dwellers, and where the construction stands now.

Where does the downtown Hudson River Park construction stand now?  

Ms. Fishman: Tribeca construction of Pier 25 and the uplands from N. Moore to Chambers Street is expected to be complete in the fall of this year. The new piers and pilings are completely finished, and the three small buildings for utilities, mini-golf, and restrooms/maintenance are now under construction. The mini-golf course, sports field, skate park, and volleyball courts are being installed as well. Once completed they’ll be followed by pavement installation and landscaping. Trees should begin arriving for planting this spring.

How is HRPT working to preserve and protect Hudson River species during and after Pier construction?  

Hudson River Park Trust only drives, pulls, or cuts piles in the Hudson River between May 1st and October 31st each year. The rest of the year there is no pile work allowed. This is to better protect the ‘over-wintering’ of juvenile striped bass.

Trees should be arriving to the park this spring

The finished park also includes what are referred to as “pile fields” which attract algae and barnacles to the old wooden piles and are enjoyed by fish and water fowl. All Hudson River Park piers were designed to be no larger that their historic footprints, and generally the platform coverage over the water has been reduced. This creates smaller shadows over the marine resources that inhabit the water and mud below the piers. The old wooden piles are also left below the new pier decks wherever possible to further enhance the marine habitat.

What do you think will be the greatest community benefit of the rebuilt Piers?

The return of Pier 25 and its family-friendly activities will be a great boon to the Tribeca community -- amenities will include a basketball court, skate park, playground, mini-golf, volleyball, jr. sports field, comfort station and landscaping. The programming of activities on the pier was actually developed by Community Board 1 in consultation with the pier’s designers. It will allow the park to be an intensively used community resource for active recreation for the park’s many neighbors.

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