Phase II East River Waterfront redevelopment designs are revealed

In partnership with the City, State, and local community, the SHoP/Richard Rogers/Ken Smith design team has produced an ambitious plan to provide public access to the waterfront for the first time in decades, improve the urban design of the area, and add new community amenities. Incorporating revisions based on feedback from public meetings held last year, the latest plan revealed today detail improvements on ten foundation projects along the East River Waterfront including:

• New Esplanade
• Battery Maritime Building
• Pier 15
• Burling Slip
• New Market
• Peck Slip
• Catherine Slip
• Pike / Allen
• Pier 35
• Pier 42

Some highlights include creating connections from each downtown community to the East River; extending the waterfront into the slips; providing opportunities for water dependent uses; creating pavilions for culture, recreation, and retail under the FDR Drive; and completing the green link between the Battery and East River Park to provide a waterfront amenity half the size of Central Park.

To view the latest presentation of the East River Waterfront Study and the options considered for a new and improved esplanade and for redefined public spaces, please click here.

To view images of the redevelopment project, please click here.

To inform the development process for this project, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) provided funding for a multi-phase study which began in early 2003. By fall 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 -- selected an international design team to produce a comprehensive master plan for the redevelopment of the East River waterfront, stretching from Battery Park to East River Park.  The designers from Richard Rogers and SHoP -- with funding from the LMDC provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development -- developed a draft of general redevelopment concepts for the East River project, including new waterfront uses and amenities and increased open space for New Yorkers and tourists alike. The preliminary plans were presented at a series of public meetings, beginning with a June 2004 meeting hosted by Community Board 1. The purpose of the public sessions was not only to present the ideas to the community, but also to solicit community members' opinions and views.

Related Links:

Read Mayor Bloomberg's Vision for Lower Manhattan
Looking Ahead: East River Waterfront Redevelopment
View the Phase 1 Study Presentation
View East River Waterfront Public Brochure