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Richard Rogers Partnership with SHoP architects
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In early 2003, New York City laid the groundwork for an ambitious new effort designed to attract more New Yorkers to the East River waterfront, introducing residents as well as tourists to the sights and sounds of this historic area. Multiple city agencies and world-renowned architects initiated a planning process to transform the waterfront "from something underperforming into something that New York would want," says Amanda Burden, Chair of City Planning.
In the fall of 2003, the City -- specifically the Mayor's Office of Lower Manhattan Development, the Department of City Planning, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) -- selected an international design team to produce a comprehensive master plan for the redevelopment of the East River waterfront from Battery Park to the East River Park. Goals for the redevelopment include enhanced access to and along the water's edge, new waterfront uses and amenities, and increased open space for New Yorkers and tourists alike. Beginning this summer, there will be a series of public meetings to present the preliminary plans for redevelopment, some of which could start as early as next year.
The Master Plan for the historic face-lift of the two-mile stretch of waterfront is expected to be finalized in early 2005. City officials hope to implement some changes to the area rapidly, providing better access to the waterfront as quickly as possible.
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| For a slide show of the East River Waterfront Study, Phase I, please click here |
"Lower Manhattan is unique, with water on three sides," says Burden. "But you can't walk around there. It's not accessible."
"We want to improve this right away," Burden adds. "Strengthening and rebuilding Lower Manhattan is number one on the Mayor's agenda. Part of that is rebuilding the East River waterfront."
This particular watery edge of Manhattan has played a critical role in the development of New York, from the very beginning of the city's centuries-old history. The first Dutch settlements were located along the lower East River. According to EDC, the waterfront became public property when the English reassigned ownership of most of the lands under water from the Dutch to themselves and then to the newly formed city in the 1600s. For the next 150 years, the maritime economy developed through both public and private investments. By the early 19th century, the city had become the leading shipping capital in the nation.
As the commercial shipping industry shifted away from the East River during the 20th century, however, the purpose and role of the waterfront was redefined.
"The waterfront has changed dramatically in Manhattan from industrial use to recreational use," says Michael Samuelian, Senior Urban Designer at the Department of City Planning. "But waterfront development takes so long that our physical infrastructure still shows that. So we have dilapidated piers on the waterfront, even on the West Side."
New Uses Considered for Waterfront
Now that the East River waterfront no longer acts as a shipping center, its use and function can be reconsidered, City officials say. The opportunity comes at a time when there is also renewed interest in New York Harbor, with the construction of Brooklyn Bridge Park, the development of Hudson River Park, and the acquisition of Governor's Island from the federal government.
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| One proposal included a sea-level ice-skating rink, a beach and a hydroponic garden (Rockwell/Diller + Scofido) |
"This is a section of the waterfront that is underutilized, and it needs to be put to better use," says Robert Balder, Director of the Mayor's Office of Lower Manhattan Development. "The Mayor wants to see us recapture our waterfront for the benefit of all New Yorkers. We also have a large number of tourists and businesses. We view it as part of an amenity for everyone that will be in contact with that waterfront."
Revitalizing the waterfront will also play an important role in supporting the Financial District, according to Burden.
"The Financial District took a heavy hit during 9/11," Burden says. "We want to do everything we can to strengthen that district. That means brining more residents down there and more stores. And we also need to have waterfront access."
In response to a request for proposals issued in 2003, more than 50 design teams from around the world expressed interest in working to re-imagine the area.
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Another proposal included housing, hotels, cultural institutions and a marina (Peterson/Littenberg)
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"We wanted a team that had the ability to be creative," Balder says. "The team also needed to understand the desires and needs of the community. We believe that the team we've selected has the expertise and level of understanding that would produce an innovative, forward looking, but feasibly implementable plan."
The selected design team features architects from two firms that submitted a joint proposal. The first firm, Richard Rogers Partnership, is an international design and planning practice with offices in London, Barcelona, and Tokyo that has completed work on a host of acclaimed buildings, including London's Millennium Dome and the Pompidou Centre in Paris. The second firm, SHoP Architects, has offices located on Lower Manhattan's Park Place and has worked on projects ranging from academic buildings to public art installations.
"What the state and local agencies have done to improve water quality and activities on the waterfront, that's been going on for a decade," says Christopher Sharples, a partner at SHoP. "But the East River is way behind in terms of drawing the city back to the edge and revitalizing the area."
"The City is turning back to the waterfront, to turn it into a public amenity" Sharples adds. "That's the goal."
Public Invited to View Preliminary Plans
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| Richard Rogers Partnership with SHoP Architects were selected as the design team and have drafted preliminary plans for public review |
Designers from Richard Rogers and SHoP -- with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation -- have worked to draft general redevelopment concepts. Those preliminary plans are now being presented at public meetings. The first, hosted by Community Board 1, took place on June 21, 2004.
The purpose of the public meetings, according to Balder, was to present ideas to the community and to solicit their opinions and views.
"No waterfront project can be advanced without public input," Balder says. "It's an opportunity to engage in detailed discussions not only about what our designers have done, but more importantly to hear from the community."
After the first public meetings, a second round followed in the fall 2004 and a third and final round in January 2005. By early 2005, the City hopes to have a preferred direction agreed upon for the Master Plan.
"At that point, we expect to have enough detail to give the public a good idea of the consultants' concepts," Balder says. "People will be able to see what could be built, what it could look like, and how it would work. Decision-makers will then be able to go quickly from concept to actual design to implementation."
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| The South Street Seaport is already a bustling attraction for tourists and residents alike |
In addition to the reconstructing of the waterfront as a whole, there are also changes to the area that the City hopes to enact much more quickly. Short-term projects, which could begin next year, might include taking down fences, refurbishing parks, and perhaps even adding pavilions underneath the FDR Drive.
Those immediate improvements could then help the public understand ways the area could be improved, and gain the support necessary to create more long-term changes to the waterfront so that it will better serve the City in the next 25 years.
"Uptown has Central Park, which people go through every day," Samuelian says. "People bring their kids there, they go to parties there. We don't have that down here."
"The riverfront can be another Central Park," Samuelian continues. "It could be a new center that unites Brooklyn, Manhattan, Governors Island, and all the neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan in the same way that Central Park unites the East Side and the West Side and brings people together. That's something the East River could do."
To view a slide show of East River Waterfront Study, Phase I, please click here.
To view a slide show of East River Waterfront Study, Phase II, please click here.
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