The project is expected to open to the public in early 2012

With substantial infrastructure and East River marine work complete, this fall the city Economic Development Corporation (EDC) plans to launch its next construction phase for the downtown riverfront. The $150 million project kicked off last year with utility relocations, pile restoration and installation, and FDR Drive painting. Now crews are wrapping up that initial phase to begin rebuilding the uplands areas.

View the EDC’s presentation to CB1 here.

View the EDC’s presentation to CB3 here.

The East River Waterfront plan spans a nearly 1,200-foot stretch of the downtown waterfront, from the Battery Maritime Building (Pier 6) up to Rutgers Slip (Pier 35). City crews are actively working on several segments at once, such as on the pilot section of the esplanade between Maiden Lane and Wall Street, where a new section of the divided walkway/bikeway is going in. In the areas north of Brooklyn Bridge, crews are improving drainage and tying in new utilities that will enhance lighting and long-term infrastructure.

As for the “Package 2” work, expected to ramp up in November, the EDC presented revised plans to Community Boards 1 and 3 this summer. Board members praised the revisions, like the reduced wall height between the bikeway and walkway, which was lowered from six to three and a half feet high to keep the space and views more open.

The esplanade plan includes welcomed additions

The esplanade plan includes welcome additions that will spruce up the sheerly functional waterfront it is replacing. Features include new wood-and-steel railings along the shoreline, with modern benches, game tables, granite pavers, and many new plantings from grasses to juniper bushes to perennials. Perhaps the most impressive new additions are the rebuilt Pier 15, with its two decks and rooftop green space, and Pier 35’s amphitheater-style seating facing the river.

Moving along on schedule so far, the project is expected to open to the public in early 2012 -- also completing a major link the 32-mile Manhattan Greenway.

Read more about the East River Waterfront plan here.

Related Links