East River Waterfront

[Merry]

Pier work begins on East River waterfront




http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_330/er.gif

Rendering of the new design for Pier 35 near Clinton St.


A new waterfront park that is meant to do for the East Side what Hudson River Park did for the West Side broke ground at a ceremony Tuesday morning.

With swiveling cranes in the background, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the timing could not be better to start construction of the East River Waterfront, a project he promised to build four years ago. The $150 million park, funded mostly by the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., will create about 400 construction jobs during the recession, Bloomberg said.

Bloomberg stood alongside the governor, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Borough President Scott Stringer and State Sen. Daniel Squadron to describe the first phase of the project, which will stretch 2 miles from the Battery Maritime Building up to Pier 35, connecting the West Side greenway to East River Park. That work is slated to finish in 2011.

The award-winning design by SHoP Architects includes retail and community-use pavilions under the elevated F.D.R. Dr.; amphitheater steps descending toward the water; wider paths for cyclists and pedestrians; and bar-stool seating along a rebuilt esplanade.

The East River Waterfront will be “as innovative and exciting as the High Line,” City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden said.

A second phase, which does not yet have funding or a timeline, would convert Pier 42 to public use with an urban beach and would create a plaza in front of the Battery Maritime Building.

At the groundbreaking, the mayor highlighted plans for a new double-decker Pier 15, whose concrete piles are already rising from the East River. The pier will include a marine education center, concessions and space to dock boats on the lower level, and an open lawn and plantings on the upper level.

The city also unveiled new plans for Pier 35, at Rutgers Slip, which will become an “eco pier” featuring flora and fauna native to the East River shoreline.

The mayor first mentioned the possibility of improving the East River waterfront in 2002. Part of the reason the East River Waterfront project it took so long to get off the ground was because of the many permits required, Deputy Mayor Robert Lieber said. The project also underwent an extensive public review, with more than 70 community meetings.

Borough President Stringer thanked Bloomberg for consulting Community Boards 1 and 3 so extensively.

“You’ve done something I didn’t think was possible,” Stringer said to the mayor. “I think you’ve tired them out.”

http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_330/pierwork.html

[ZippyTheChimp]

Two weeks ago.

Began drilling caissons along the bulkhead at the Battery Maritime Building. Area from Pier 13 to the Seaport is fenced off. Piles for the new pier.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/325/eastriverwaterfronnt01c.th.jpg (http://img525.imageshack.us/i/eastriverwaterfronnt01c.jpg/) http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/401/eastriverwaterfronnt02c.th.jpg (http://img525.imageshack.us/i/eastriverwaterfronnt02c.jpg/) http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/7564/eastriverwaterfronnt03c.th.jpg (http://img242.imageshack.us/i/eastriverwaterfronnt03c.jpg/) http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/323/eastriverwaterfronnt04c.th.jpg (http://img242.imageshack.us/i/eastriverwaterfronnt04c.jpg/)

Yesterday

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/1158/eastriverwaterfronnt05c.th.jpg (http://img242.imageshack.us/i/eastriverwaterfronnt05c.jpg/) http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/417/eastriverwaterfronnt06c.th.jpg (http://img242.imageshack.us/i/eastriverwaterfronnt06c.jpg/) http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/189/eastriverwaterfronnt07c.th.jpg (http://img242.imageshack.us/i/eastriverwaterfronnt07c.jpg/)

[Sherpa]

Its time to start a discussion about this project that will improve the neighbourhood downtown (FIDI)...

http://www.nycedc.com/ProjectsOpportunities/CurrentProjects/Manhattan/EastRiverWaterfront/Pages/EastRiverWaterfront.aspx

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.

[Sherpa]

*The following information was last updated November 16, 2009

The first phase of construction is taking place on the waterfront between Wall Street and Maiden Lane
Pier 13/14 pile driving is complete; pile caps and decking installation continues through October 30, 2009
Pier 15 infrastructure under construction July 2009 through August 2010; construction access from water side. Pile driving through mid-Nov. 2009.
FDR girder painting (east side only) begins Feb. 2010.
Contractor Turner Construction is performing marine infrastructure work; Contractor Trocom Construction is reconstructing the esplanade
Motorcycle parking was removed in May. The lot operator under the Brooklyn Bridge (near South Street and Peck Slip) will accept motorcycles at a rate of $125/month. The contact for that lot is Amine Babaali at 212-732-2670.
A reduced, shared bikeway/walkway is in effect at the work site

[lofter1]

Yesterday I took a walk along the new esplanade (north of Houston Street). It's really terrific, with a great urban (rather than suburban) feel. Work is moving ahead all around and beneath the Williamsburg Bridge and points south. This is going to be a great amenity for the LES / EV / Downtown when it finishes up.

[Merry]

East waterfront work continuing with revisions

Julie Shapiro



Two thousand eleven will be a big year for the East River Waterfront, the city’s $150 million renovation of a gritty 2-mile walkway.



That year, the city plans to open the first sections of the rebuilt esplanade and bikeway on the East Side of Lower Manhattan, stretching from the Battery Maritime Building up to Maiden Ln. As work on that section continues, the city this week showed new designs for the southernmost portion of the esplanade, south of Wall St., featuring maritime foliage, wooden furniture, bike racks and an undulating railing.



Because the current walkway is only 8 feet wide in some of these southern sections, the city is currently driving piles to expand the path over the East River. Originally, the plans called for the walkway to separate from the shoreline and curve out over the water, to give views of the Lower Manhattan skyline, but the state Dept. of Environmental Conservation vetoed that idea, said Nicole Dooskin, project manager for the city Economic Development Corp.



As a result, the new esplanade will stay adjacent to land and will be just wide enough to fit a 12-foot walkway, a buffer and a 10-foot bikeway. In some sections south of Wall St. there will also be room for wooden furniture and plantings of juniper and ornamental grasses. In other sections, there will only be room for a decorative aluminum screen.



That screen drew objections at Community Board 1’s Waterfront Committee Monday night, although the board members liked the rest of the design E.D.C. and SHoP Architects presented. Several board members were worried that the fence, which will be 6 feet, 7 inches high, could make the esplanade dangerous.



“If I was a mugger, I would look to mug somebody over there,” said Bob Townley, chairperson of the Waterfront Committee.



The fence is designed to be both functional and artistic. In one section, it would separate the esplanade from the bike path, and in another it would shield the esplanade and half of the bike path from a parking lot for F.D.N.Y. vehicles. Hexagon-shaped holes in the fence would create a “cinematic” effect as people walked past and would foster a feeling of openness despite the physical barrier, said Ken Smith, a landscape architect who designed the fence. (The city did not release images of the design, which officials presented at the community board meeting.)



Townley and other board members agreed that the screen looked beautiful, but they said beauty should not trump safety, and they were concerned that the fence would isolate people along the waterfront. The committee passed a resolution asking the city to reduce the height of the fence or eliminate it altogether.



Smith said he thought about a lower fence but it would not achieve the same visual effect as a higher one. He invited board members to see a full-height mockup of the screen in his office before the full board votes in January. The community board’s opinion is advisory.



Townley said he would try to keep an open mind about the screen.

“Ken’s a Tribeca architect,” Townley said. “We don’t want to eat our own.”


http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_348/eastwaterfront.html

[Merry]

City Shows Designs for South Stretch of East River Esplanade

By Matt Dunning

The city rolled out its latest set of designs this week for the massive, $150 million redevelopment of the East River Waterfront, outlining plans for a 1,165-foot section from the Battery Maritime Building, at the tip of Manhattan, to near Wall Street.

Communty Board 1 members, shown the preliminary plans on Dec. 21, mostly liked what they saw. While the southern section is devoid of marquis attractions planned farther north—such as a pavilion and rooftop green space at Pier 15, or the “habitat restoration” park at Pier 35—it will include the same hexagonal pavers, sleek-looking benches and lacquered wood-and-steel railings used throughout the proposed two-mile, 14-million-square-foot park.

Just one element of the plan, presented by the city's Economic Development Corp., drew objections from the board: A series of shimmering metal walls used to separate cyclists and pedestrians had the committee criticizing its design and worried about safety.

http://www.tribecatrib.com/images/stories/2009/december/eastriver-3.jpg
A rendering of the EDC's proposed esplanade along the east river, between the Battery Maritime Building and Pier 6.

SECTION A - THE BATTERY MARITIME BUILDING TO PIER 6

In the southernmost portion of what the EDC is calling “Package 2” of its redevelopment designs, a 6-foot-high, perforated aluminum wall would separate the bike path from the pedestrian walkway. Ken Smith, a landscape architect for the project, said the 150-foot-long wall is intended as a barrier between the bike path and the walkway—a city requirement. And it gives pedestrians walking along the water a sense of separation from the rest of the city, without completely cutting cyclists off from views of the river.

“Part of the experience of the esplanade is to be a little closer to the water, and to get a little respite from the city,” Smith said.

But some CB1 members objected to the height of the wall, and asked that it be lowered to under four feet or eliminated entirely. Pedestrians might feel trapped as they walked between the wall and the rail at the water’s edge, they said, lessening the experience of being by the water. There was also a complaint that the wall would block the vista for cyclists.

“Sometimes It's nice to look to across the river," committee member Michael Ketring said. "I would do without the ‘experience’ and have more of a view.”

http://www.tribecatrib.com/images/stories/2009/december/eastriver-1.jpg
[B]The EDC and SHoP Architects have proposed fencing off the parking lot underneath the FDR highway with a perforated aluminum wall.

SECTION B - PIER 6 TO OLD SLIP

North of the Battery Maritime Building, near Pier 6, cyclists and pedestrians would be separated by juniper trees and coastal grass. Just below Pier 11, the north-south bike lanes would split to accommodate the current Fire Department parking lot beneath the FDR Drive. Along South Street, the city removed the bus-parking lane that once occupied the east side of the street earlier this year in order to expand the bike lane.

The EDC envisions hiding the parking lot with an aluminum wall similar to one planned for the southern portion of the esplanade. Committee chairman Bob Townley said the wall was a “beautiful element,” but would make the light-starved spaces beneath the FDR Drive even darker and less inviting.

“I’m not concerned when there’s a hundred people on the esplanade, I’m concerned when there’s just one person walking there,” Townley said. “With the West Side waterfront, we wanted as much visibility to prevent things like attacks and muggings. That’s an issue for me here, too. If I was a mugger, I would look to mug someone there.”

http://www.tribecatrib.com/images/stories/2009/december/eastriver-2.jpg
[B]EDC representatives said little would change on the plaza north of Pier 11, which they called a "waiting area" for the ferryboats on the pier.

SECTION C - PIER 11

Cathy Jones, of SHoP architects, said little would change just north of Pier 11, where the EDC will need to maintain an open corridor for the thousands of ferry riders. The new pavers, benches and railings would be installed around the pier to maintain uniformity with the rest of the park, but the general layout of the pier and the adjacent plaza would remain largely as it is today.

“It’s such a heavily trafficked area, we can’t really do too much there,” Jones said. “It’s kind of a waiting area for [the ferryboats at] Pier 11. There is some room to put in some tables and other furniture. Some amenities for the people sitting around and waiting would be nice.”

The plan is to go before the city’s Public Design Commission on Jan. 11.

http://www.tribecatrib.com/news/2009/december/447_on-the-eastriver-waterfront-citys-latest-designs-for-esplanade.html

[Sherpa]

New piers and repainting work south of John St down as far as Wall St.

[ZippyTheChimp]

North from Battery Maritime Building.
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/8274/eastriverwaterfronnt08c.th.jpg (http://img683.imageshack.us/i/eastriverwaterfronnt08c.jpg/)

Narrow walkway tripled in width. Not cantilevered; free-standing structure with piling support.

[lofter1]

Wow ^ That will be nice, the walkway there has always been so cramped and unwelcoming.

[BrooklynRider]

I think this becomes even more of a necessity as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferries move to the Maritime Terminal. It isn't presently an attractive area and it is not pedestrian friendly.

[Sherpa]

From this morning. They are now repainting the entire length of the underside of the FDR flyover. The sample section is completed. Also new cobbles sample.

[ablarc]

The perforated aluminum fence is a bad idea.

[Jake]

While I love the idea of these parks and I'm glad this is all progressing I have to voice my critical opinion of these projects from the safety perspective.

Before the remaining portions of the waterfront are designed and built we all need to take a really long hard look at the lately ignored aspects of park space in these secluded, behind-the-highway areas. I am not sure exactly what the policy is on park closings at night and who precisely enforces these curfews or monitors these spaces but as someone who routinely takes walks along the 23rd st to Houston bikelane/park at night I am very very worried about what I'm seeing.

While it may be true that it is the responsibility of the individual to reduce his own risks the area I mentioned is notorious for late night drug use and far more significantly has dense tree cover from the highway and borders building complexes that foster no particular passerby interest in what happens along the waterfront. Despite the fact that I always take a stroll there with a group of people we have been very threateningly harassed by drug users there on two occasions. Often you will find people there so completely out of their minds that no city should ever be permissive of them being left to their own devices. During all this time I am yet to see a police officer there at that hour and I fear that one of these days the beautifully planned natural spaces and the comforting private bench spaces will be used to hurt someone who misjudged where they found themselves.

I have never been a particular advocate of curfews but this area carries a demonstrably greater risk than taking a late night stroll through Central Park despite the seemingly greater ease of access for a police intervention.

I don't know if the solution is to ticket people like myself who enjoy the waterfront after a long day, or to turn a park into a police patrol area, or maybe to eliminate the beautiful designs for parks we need. I simply feel that I see a lot of risk there that is present - not just potential.

[ZippyTheChimp]

^
Central Park is a good comparison.

Crime in the park is almost nonexistent. No homicides, and total crime cases reported was 67 for all of 2009. Typical for a police precinct is over 2000 cases reported.

Wasn't always the case. It was once a dangerous place, partly because people avoided it. Technically, the park closes at 1AM. It's a disclaimer; the city is saying that it can't be responsible for public safety 24/7, and late at night the environment is more dangerous.

Don't know what the present crime situation is along the East River waterfront, but making it more popular doesn't necessarily mean you're bringing people into a dangerous situation. More people makes a place safer.

The subways are considered safe, but at 2AM it's a good idea to sit in the conductor's car.

[Sherpa]

I agree.

I tend to enjoy City Parks during daylight hours (and when the weather is fine).

I tend to enjoy either the Pub or my couch at all other times (outside of working hours).

:-)

[Sherpa]

Under FDR by the South Street Seaport this evening.

[Stroika]

Awesome! Am very much looking forward to the this park. It could be very cool -- though I have a feeling it might be a hit-or-miss proposition...

[Sherpa]

I think it will be more of a morning destination when the sunshine is at its best on this side of the island.

[Sherpa]

.

[Merry]

The East River Park Promenade

March 23, 2010

http://www.boweryboogie.com/media/uploads/2010/03/east-river-railing-400x300.jpg (http://www.boweryboogie.com/2010/03/the-east-river-park-promenade.html/east-river-railing/)

The East River Park Promenade (http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_divisions/capital/parks/east_river_park_promenade.html) remains an unsightly mess, even as it continues its sluggish march toward the long-overdue finish line. In the meantime, any hope for final completion ebbs and flows with the tide.

http://www.boweryboogie.com/media/uploads/2010/03/bridge-and-walkway-400x300.jpg (http://www.boweryboogie.com/2010/03/the-east-river-park-promenade.html/bridge-and-walkway/)

Last year, a small section of the bulkhead just north of East Houston was reopened to the public (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2009/11/25/east_river_park_promenade_gets_an_eyeful_of_willia msburg.php). Further south, in the immediate shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge, new railings are now in place; but much of the walkway is still unpaved dirt. From the look of it, a summer reveal could be in the cards. But we won’t hold our breath.

http://www.boweryboogie.com/media/uploads/2010/03/backup-railings-and-water-fountain-400x300.jpg (http://www.boweryboogie.com/2010/03/the-east-river-park-promenade.html/backup-railings-and-water-fountain/)

http://www.boweryboogie.com/2010/03/the-east-river-park-promenade.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BoweryBoogieALowerEastSideChr onicle+%28Bowery+Boogie+|+A+Lower+East+Side+Chroni cle%29 (http://www.boweryboogie.com/2010/03/the-east-river-park-promenade.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BoweryBoogieALowerEastSideChr onicle+%28Bowery+Boogie+%7C+A+Lower+East+Side+Chro nicle%29)

[Sherpa]

.

[BrooklynRider]

There's no dressing up the fact that this is under the highway. I don't think it will ever be the draw for locals that HRP has become on the West Side of the island.

[Sherpa]

South Street Seaport Redevelopment Plan Could Be Revived (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/04/08/south_street_seaport_redevelopment_plan_could_be_r evived.php)

http://ny.curbed.com/uploads/2010_4_seaport.jpgRemember when the flashy and Landmarks-despised (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2008/11/19/landmarks_commission_just_not_that_into_seaport_pl an.php) makeover of the South Street Seaport (signature piece: a SHoP-designed 42-story condo/hotel tower where the Pier 17 mall now stands) was killed off due to the financial meltdown of the Seaport's leaseholder, General Growth Properties? Well dust off your placards, neighborhood opponents, because the project may—may—be coming back in some form.
General Growth is emerging from bankruptcy, and Downtown Express (http://downtownexpress.com/de_363/emerging.html) reports that the Seaport will likely fall under rule of offshoot General Growth Opportunities, which would take the properties with development potential. "Presumably," a spokesperson said, "the new company would continue to pursue the highest, best use of that property, which we felt was the proposal we put out." Ba-bam! The bankruptcy exit plan requires court approval, so this is all preliminary, but at least we have an excuse to link to photos of that glowing Seaport model (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2008/07/02/south_street_seaports_hot_model_revealed.php) again!
· Emerging from bankruptcy, firm revives Seaport tower talk (http://downtownexpress.com/de_363/emerging.html) [Downtown Express]
· South Street Seaport Redevelopment coverage (http://ny.curbed.com/tags/south-street-seaport-redevelopment) [Curbed]

[Sherpa]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/images/roadblock/crains_logo_intro.jpg (http://www.crainsnewyork.com/)

Fulton Fish site eyed for fresh-food marketplace

By James Comtois (http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/personalia?ID=124)
Published: April 15, 2010 - 2:02 pm
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, council members Thomas White and Margaret Chin and representatives from local community groups gathered Thursday morning at the South Street Seaport to push for a regional fresh-food marketplace near the former site of the Fulton Fish Market.
Among others who were on hand to support the proposed marketplace were Janell Vaughn, senior general manager of General Growth Properties which owns South Street Seaport, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance president Roland Lewis, and Julie Menin, the chair of Community Board One. Local foodies, including Nelly Wu from W & T Seafood and Anita Lee from Bo Bo Poultry Market, also lent their support.
“I can't think of a better place than the historic Fulton Fish Market area to host a regional food market in lower Manhattan,” said Ms. Quinn at the press conference. “These markets would welcome a variety of visitors and residents while boosting economic development.”
Established in 1822, the Fulton Fish Market was one of the first organized open-air fish markets in the city and the nation. The site is just south of the Brooklyn Bridge. In November 2005, the market decamped to Hunts Point in the Bronx.
According to Ms. Menin, the Fulton Fish Market area, which is already slated for redevelopment, is a perfect location for a food market.
“Lower Manhattan is the fastest growing community in New York City, and there is a pressing need to bolster our neighborhood's infrastructure, services and amenities to accommodate this rapid growth,” she added.
Advocates say that the proposed market would draw both residents and tourists, similar to Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market.
Earlier this year, Ms. Quinn encouraged the investment in a destination market that highlights small vendors, diverse cuisines and regional products. The City Council has already invested in the revitalization of two other markets, La Marqueta in East Harlem and the Moore Street Market in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

[NYatKNIGHT]

Great idea. And it was a great idea a few years ago before the Fish Market closed and it was suggested it become a farmers market. In all that time they're still talking about it like it's a fresh idea.

[Merry]

Architect's Outlandish Idea: LIC Commuters Should Walk on Water!

April 16, 2010, by Pete

http://cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4040/4523856482_40e6e1bac3_o.jpg
The Manhattan approach, south of the United Nations complex.

http://cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4021/4523223943_0046f096eb_o.jpg (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/04/16/architects_outlandish_idea_lic_commuters_should_wa lk_on_water.php)

http://cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4007/4523904186_1aeae4d8d4_o.jpg

http://cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4042/4523271455_2a909dfd09_o.jpg

http://cstatic.net/cache/gallery/2732/4523856626_d721c73806_s.jpg (http://cstatic.net/cache/gallery/2732/4523856626_7a530141f2_o.jpg)http://cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4003/4523856574_d8c448c39b_s.jpg (http://cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4003/4523856574_50808fcfe8_o.jpg)
(click to enlarge)

Snoop around architects' websites and you're bound to find some interesting stuff. Like this! Now that shovels have hit the ground for the long-arrested FDR Memorial on Roosevelt Island, some other ideas for the East River are coming to mind. One concept is a footbridge linking Manhattan and Queens, from architect Andre Tchelistcheff, who is designing the insides of Marc Jacobs's West Village townhouse. That's right, leisurely strolls through the Midtown Tunnel are so yesterday!

The hybrid suspension-drawbridge would cross the the East River from a western approach slotted between the United Nations and Sheldon Solow's fallow hole. A series of pylons step across the river, with cables supporting the pedestrian platform below. From a support sunk into little Belmont Island, the footbridge takes a dogleg to the east, connecting to Long Island City near Gantry Plaza. Off center, closer to Manhattan, is the drawbridge section that could be raised so ships can continue on their way. The drawings suggest that this slanting feature would offer some fun for the folks on foot, especially those who don't mind a mid-river dunking. Where do we sign up?

Portfolio - Conceptual - East River Footbridge (http://www.tchelistcheff.com/#concproj2) [Andre Tchelistcheff Architects]

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/04/16/architects_outlandish_idea_lic_commuters_should_wa lk_on_water.php

[infoshare]

This would be just great for those who live any where near LIC: the ferry service is limited and costly and the subway service is limited and over-crowded. This idea is nothing novel, particularly given the existing footbridge over the east river, but I do like the artful design of the bridge; it's less utilitarian looking the other existing footbridge over the east river (http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/citywide/bridges/wardsisland/index.htm).

P.S. The WNY forest is growing larger and denser everyday, and great (instructive, interesting, informative, exciting, ect.) members like Merry are increasingly becoming like finding diamonds sitting atop a pile of coal. A big thanks to the DIAMONDS among us who keep this site an essential part of my ART/ARCHITECTURE media diet.

[lofter1]

The crew who wants to develop the Domino Sugar site were urged to include a footbridge from the waterfront there across to the East River Park (taking inspiration from London's Millennium Bridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Bridge_(London)) by Arup, Foster and Partners and Sir Anthony Caro that crosses the Thames and leads to the Tate Modern), but they balked at the cost / effort and such a footbridge is no longer part of the Domino proposal.

[ablarc]

http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/citywide/bridges/wardsisland/index.htm
Future pedestrian bridges could dispense entirely with the concept of raising the bridge itself to accommodate ships. Since it's a pedestrian bridge, all you have to move is the pedestrians themselves. We all know the ease and simplicity of the answer to that brief: run ordinary elevators from the lower to the upper level. The bridge can be perfectly stationary, while the pedestrians do all the moving. You don't need a bridgemaster or expensive machinery.

[lofter1]

... run ordinary elevators from the lower to the upper level.


Agreed ^ And take it a step further ...

If shoreline elevators were added at the base of the East River Bridges up to the existing pedestrian walkways (below in green) that would create direct pedestrian access along the waterfront (folks would not need to walk ~ 10 blocks in either direction to get onto the walkway in order to cross the river) and lessen the need for any new footbridge bridge from waterfront to waterfront (although an additional footbridge at Queens West / United Nations would be a great addition). Then if they would add light rail along both shores of the ER waterfront (below in red) with drop-offs at the elevator sites it would go a long way towards getting people where they need & want to go.

*

[ablarc]

Terrific ^ How do we interest Bloomberg?

He could start by installing elevators at the 59th Street Bridge --especially at Roosevelt Island-- during the year the Tramway is out of commission.

Wouldn't the folks on Roosevelt Island be ecstatic? They'd help him get elected as Mayor-for-Life. ;)

[lofter1]

Bloomberg might be interested if his old friends at GS could figure out a way to fund the elevators / light rail so that the project earns them buckets of cash.

The Domino development gang, despite their connections (http://www.brooklynrail.org/2006/09/local/will-one-more) to the mayor's inside circle (http://www.nyc.gov:80/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.047d873163b300bc6c4451f401c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=nyc_photo_slide&catID=1194&doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fht ml%2Fbios%2Fbio_om_dm_ed.html), has no good answer or plan (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/03/16/burgs_new_domino_could_have_supermarket_school_shu ttle.php) for getting the projected 6,000 new residents to / from their big development. They think a few added shuttle busses (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2008/10/20/burgs_new_domino_has_open_house_touts_free_bus_ser vice.php) will do the trick :cool:

[ablarc]

Speaking of light rail, they should run PCC's on the Brooklyn side all the way to Red Hook. Are those PCC's still rotting away on the Fairway's dock?

[lofter1]

Great plan. While we're building let's put in the light rail all the way to Red Hook, then back around past Prospect Park through the middle of Brooklyn & Queens in areas now without subway service (no doubt some residents there prefer that no good public transit serves certain areas, as that's one way to keep out folks they'd rather not have passing through). Continue the rail up along Flushing Meadows, on to La Guardia and over to Steinway and then down the full stretch of the East River.

On the Manhattan side continue the rail up along the East River, at least as far north to a point where passengers could link up with the Lexington subway line. From South Ferry continue the rail up the west side of Manhattan (although the perfect chance was lost when such a rail wasn't included in the re-building of the West Side Hiway), possibly going north from 23rd along Eleventh Avenue / West End Avenue. Put in cross town surface rails at 72nd Street and somewhere in midtown (23rd? 34th? 42nd?) and also downtown, at either Houston or Delancey / Broome. And add another crosstown rail uptown, at Central Park North or 125th Street.

[ablarc]

^ Voilà un fait accompli.

[Merry]

Fear & Loathing in East River Park

by Yori Yanover, Grand Street News (http://www.grandstreetnews.com/scripts/grand/paper/Index_0510.asp?ColumnID=81)

On my morning walk this past weekend, after shul, I decided to check out how far the East River Park promenade renovation has reached. I’m happy to report that the railing and the pavement, which start up near 14th Street, now go all the way down to the old fireboat house, south of the WB.

It’s an old, personal scar for me, this promenade. I will never forget the day, on the eve of the Fourth of July, 2000, when then Mayor Giuliani was informed there were holes the size of a small car in the promenade pavement, and he ordered the whole damned thing fenced off. Then, for years, the city spent much money on police patrols to prevent cyclist, runners and walkers from using the promenade, and not one penny on fixing it.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, in Tribeca, the rich folks were getting parks and bike paths and running tracks and flowers and girls in hot pants refreshing their margaritas. Then, in 2005, the city started moving its behind on the renovation project, and has been schlepping it out for six summers. And all this time, the asphalt road alongside the FDR Drive is more potholes than road, and the Parks Dept. keeps saying they’ll pave it over once the entire project is finished, makes no sense to pave while the heavy cement trucks are still using the road. That’s five years now. Each year they promise completion next year. I was a relatively young man when this thing started, I had pep, I was four inches taller.

Walking along the newly added promenade cobblestones, a young African American man wearing a reflective green and orange vest and a helmet came up to me to order me back. Apparently, this was still a construction site. But after 10 years of the above personal drama, I switched to Ghandi mode and informed the lad I would continue my walk up to the fence and then return. He was adamant, demanding that I return at once, or he would call the cops. You do that, I told him, and continued, with ten years of history watching me.

Finally I reached the fence which still separates the finished and open part from the finished but still barred part, and turned around. By the time I reached the pedestrian crossing bridge next to the WB, I saw two cop cars with rolling lights speeding up the drive to take me away. I’m sure Mayor Bloomberg will not understand why we down here are being so ungrateful.

http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2010/05/fear-loathing-in-east-river-park.html#more-11394

[Merry]

City Plans to Use Pier 42 For Parking; “Urban Beach” Proposal on Indefinite Hold

http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/pier1.gif (http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2010/06/city-plans-to-use-pier-42-for-parking-urban-beach-proposal-on-indefinite-hold.html/pier1)

Once upon a time (http://www.thevillager.com/villager_98/nottarbeachbutaresl.html), the city envisioned creating an “urban beach and boat launch,” something like the rendering pictured above, on Pier 42. Last week, however, NYC’s Economic Development Corp., detailed plans that are considerably less ambitious. David Quart, EDC vice president, told CB3 the city intended to temporarily dedicate the pier (at the end of Montgomery Street) to public parking and parking for vehicles being used for movie shoots.

The lofty plans for Pier 42 are on hold, since the city doesn’t have the money to finance the project. Quart told community board members the revenues generated would be funneled into a pier maintenance fund. The EDC plans to use the pier for parking during the next three years. CB3 Waterfront Subcommittee Chair Lois Regan asked whether there was a plan to raise revenue for the beach/park area.

Quart responded, “we are always talking but there is no near-term money available.”

Most of the money currently available is being devoted to Pier 35, which is being transformed into a park. Quart said it will hopefully be completed in less than two years.

CB3 members and residents attending the meeting complained about the city’s neglect of the East Sid (http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2009/10/valasquez-community-groups-press-city-to-revise-waterfront-plan-html.html)e, while the waterfront on the West Side has been refurbished with ample open space and recreational facilities. But one resident, Jim Miller (a member of Local 52 – motion picture studio mechanics) said he welcomed the decision.

In a separate discussion, the committee talked about proposed changes to an agreement made several years ago with Bruce Radler, the owner of Basketball City (http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2010/01/waterfront-coalition-agrees-to-cb3-oversight-of-basketball-city-agreement.html). The private company has signed a long-term lease for a section of Pier 36. During the past year, several neighborhood organizations have been demanding more concessions from Radler, including increased access to Basketball City facilities and employment opportunities.

But after Radler explained he couldn’t agree to more concessions, community leaders said they were willing to wait until the facility is open before making additional demands.

Everyone agreed Radler had been a “good neighbor” when Basketball City was operating on the West Side.

Radler said building the Pier 36 facility has taken a lot longer and cost far more than he anticipated. The most recent complication occurred after contractors learned the pier is on a flood plain, and the site must be raised. Radler indicated the latest revelation could cost $1 million.

http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2010/06/city-plans-to-use-pier-42-for-parking-urban-beach-proposal-on-indefinite-hold.html#more-11827

[Sherpa]

.

[lofter1]

me loves the squirrel

[Merry]

City plots huge land deal with U.N.

Plan: Sell East Side city properties to diplos to fund mile-long park.

By Theresa Agovino

City and state officials are crafting a byzantine plan to raise money to close a 21-block gap in the East Side waterfront promenade. The hard part is that it involves selling two city-owned office buildings, razing a playground and constructing a new tower for the United Nations.The extraordinarily complicated proposal is still in its early stages, and it could easily fall apart as it moves forward, given all of the moving parts. Yet officials say it has a chance because it would offer a way to fulfill major, long-held goals for both the city and the U.N.: The international body would finally get the additional building it has wanted for years, and the city could add park space and waterfront amenities despite the budgetary crisis.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” says Sarra Hale-Stern, district office director for state Sen. Liz Krueger, who is working on the proposal that's being spearheaded by the city's Economic Development Corp.

Filling the promenade's gap, which extends from East 38th to East 59th streets, would cost $150 million to $200 million. The city would finance the construction by selling two buildings on East 44th Street that it leases to the U.N. Those sales could yield anywhere from $150 million to $300 million. In addition, sources say, the city is seeking at least $75 million from the U.N. for permission to build on Robert Moses Playground, a 29,000-square-foot blacktop across East 42nd Street from the U.N., on First Avenue.

Trading parkland

But the deal faces numerous obstacles. The playground transaction would require state legislation because it involves eliminating parkland. The idea would be to compensate the community for the loss by expanding the promenade and adding space to existing area parks.

“In the legislation, we are going to have to be very specific about what will be constructed if we take the major step of [removing] parkland,” says Brian Kavanagh, a state assemblyman working on the deal.

Yet getting the OK from Albany may be the easy part. The U.N. would have to approve the deal at a time when it is already spending $1.9 billion on a gut renovation of its headquarters complex.

The idea of the U.N. building on Robert Moses Playground has been kicking around for years, but two factors have resurrected the concept recently.

First, about six months ago, the U.N. hired a consultant to study its real estate needs, sources say. The consultant found that the international body needed to extend beyond its renovated headquarters and space it leases elsewhere. In fact, the U.N. is exploring moving some local employees out of the area. Such a move by a major employer would be a big blow to the city.

The U.N. is also weighing the possibility of constructing a building on its campus, on what is now green space to the north of the General Assembly Building. That's also far from ideal for the city because the U.N. sits on sovereign territory that is exempt from zoning laws, meaning local officials would have no say over what is constructed. Also, the city would be deprived of money if the U.N. built on its own land.

Long-cherished dream

Sources say the U.N. has long wanted to build on the playground site because its proximity to its headquarters means a tunnel could be created to connect the two buildings. Also, any building the U.N. constructed on the playground site couldn't be any taller than its current headquarters, sources say.

“The U.N. really wants to be in that spot, and the community really wants more parkland,” says Dan Garodnick, the local City Council member. “Hopefully, we can get a deal.”

In a statement, an EDC spokesman said the city would continue to work toward creating more open space and allowing a major employer to consolidate and expand.

Another reason behind the revived push is the possibility of using 22 caissons left behind when a temporary roadway was built while the FDR Drive was under construction. Keeping them would shave $25 million off the cost of constructing the promenade.

New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation wanted the caissons removed by the end of last year, but it has allowed them to stay as the promenade deal is being shaped. However, it is unclear when the department's patience will run out.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100613/REAL_ESTATE/306139963

[Merry]

Holiday Weekend Bonus: New Section of East River Promenade Opens



http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/northfromgrand-682x1024.jpg (http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2010/07/holiday-weekend-bonus-east-river-promenade-opens.html/northfromgrand)
Looking north from Grand Street

A new haven awaits pedestrians, picnickers, cyclists and sunbathers this Fourth of July weekend along the East River, where the new and improved riverfront promenade is (finally!) open for business all the way south to Grand Street.

http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/tablesabovebridge-1024x682.jpg (http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2010/07/holiday-weekend-bonus-east-river-promenade-opens.html/tablesabovebridge)
New tables and benches await visitors just north of the Williamsburg Bridge.

The wide paved esplanade dotted with benches and landscaped gardens now extends south from 14th Street to the popular water-sprinkler playground featuring sculpted seals that sits just opposite the East River Co-op at Grand and the FDR.
Friday afternoon, a few cyclists and fishermen enjoyed the nice wide paved path and comfortable benches under sunny skies, while the smell of fresh mulch from brand-new landscaping blew on the cool breeze.

http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/bridgenotdone-1024x682.jpg (http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2010/07/holiday-weekend-bonus-east-river-promenade-opens.html/bridgenotdone)
Two pedestrian bridges are not yet complete

There is still plenty of work to be done on the $80 million project, including the bridges that carry the path out over the water in several places, which are still not complete.

But for LES residents who’ve long anticipated the park improvements, it’s a welcome start to a summer holiday weekend. Now, if only Macy’s would move their fireworks back over to the East River side of the island . . .

http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2010/07/holiday-weekend-bonus-east-river-promenade-opens.html#more-13586

[lofter1]

Great news ^ Someplace to explore this [HOT] weekend.

[stache]

lofter, let me know how dangerous it is to get across the FDR down there. Gracias -

[lofter1]

That's never been a problem -- I usually cross the FDR via East Houston at the elevated roundabout (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=500+east+houston+Street+new+York+NY&sll=40.715686,-73.9779&sspn=0.011515,0.017574&gl=us&g=500+Delancey+St,+New+York,+10002&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=500+E+Houston+St,+New+York,+10009&ll=40.719046,-73.975346&spn=0.002879,0.004393&t=h&z=18). There's also a pedestrian overpass at the foot of Delancey Street (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=500+Delancey+Street+new+York+NY&sll=40.71568,-73.9779&sspn=0.011515,0.017574&gl=us&g=500+Delancey+Street+new+York+NY&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=500+Delancey+St,+New+York,+10002&t=h&z=16) or south of there between Cherry & Jackson that leads through a nice little park (Corlears Hook Park (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=corlears+hook+park+new+York+NY&sll=40.71198,-73.97864&sspn=0.005758,0.008787&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=Corlears+Hook+Park&hnear=Corlears+Hook+Park,+New+York,+10002&ll=40.711696,-73.979697&spn=0.002879,0.004393&t=h&z=18)) across to the bandshell. There are other crossings further north just below East 6th & just above East 10. Or if you're coming from the south you can cross under the FDR anywhere (northernmost point is at the foot of Montgomery Street (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=90+montgomery+street+new+York+NY&sll=40.71138,-73.984825&sspn=0.011516,0.017574&gl=us&g=80+montgomery+street+new+York+NY&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=90+Montgomery+St,+New+York,+10002&ll=40.710721,-73.984635&spn=0.001439,0.002197&t=h&z=19)) then cross over to the bike path and walk up along the un-renovated area with the big shed at waterside until you find an opening that takes you east through to the esplanade.

[stache]

Looks like I should take the F to Delancy and walk.

[lofter1]

The new esplanade is terrific. But we sure could use some rain (none forecast for the next week, just hot hot hot).

Lots of folks lighting up the BBQ today.

Best way in is at Delancey (south of there it's not yet open) or points north.

[londonlawyer]

[QUOTE=Merry;326862]City Plans to Use Pier 42 For Parking; “Urban Beach” Proposal on Indefinite Hold

http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/pier1.gif (http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2010/06/city-plans-to-use-pier-42-for-parking-urban-beach-proposal-on-indefinite-hold.html/pier1)
/QUOTE]

The highway sucks and must come down. At the very least, City Hall should be the last stop, and it should be dismantled from there all the way to the south.

[ZippyTheChimp]

07.15.2010


It's Sink or Swim for Midtown Waterfront

Plans for missing section of East River Esplanade
are running out of time to be realized


http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/image/East_River_UN_Parkjpg
The new park would be along the FDR, next to Sheldon Solow's stalled construction site.
Courtesy MAS




Midtown East is home to the United Nations and to some of the ritziest real estate in Manhattan. But by some measures, it is also one of the borough’s most from front page unattractive locations. The neighborhood district can claim the least amount of public open space in the city, and is cut off from its waterfront by ramp spaghetti from the FDR Drive.

East Side elected officials and community leaders have been brainstorming for years over how to close a 24-block gap here in a potential East River Esplanade stretching from the Battery to Harlem. In 2007, the Municipal Art Society convened a charrette in which stakeholders and design professionals hammered out a bold vision for a new deck over the FDR Drive that connected via a slope to a new waterfront esplanade.

But now, what has been touted as a once-in-a-lifetime planning opportunity could be in danger of expiring. The immediate threat to any plan for closing the gap in the esplanade is the potential removal of a row of caissons in the East River.

The caissons served as supports for a temporary roadway that the New York State Department of Transportation built while they were working on the FDR Drive several years ago. Planners say the caissons potentially could be repurposed to serve as supports for a section of the waterfront esplanade that would stretch from about East 53rd Street to about East 62nd Street. Reusing the caissons could save $20 million to $25 million toward the cost of building this section. However, citing environmental concerns, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which has oversight of the caissons, wants the city to either move forward on a plan for the East River Esplanade or remove them.

“The reality is that if some sort of agreement isn’t reached that would generate building part of the promenade over the existing caissons, it certainly would be a loss,” said Sarra Hale-Stern, district office director for New York State Senator Liz Krueger, who has been working with the city’s Economic Development Corporation to develop a proposal for the waterfront park. According to Hale-Stern, not only would the city lose the opportunity to save millions of dollars toward the cost of building the esplanade, there is also the possibility that DEC would not even allow installation of new supports.

The DEC has extended a March deadline for removing the caissons, but officials say these structures may require significant work to prevent them from eroding. “DEC has not yet set a ‘drop dead’ date, in order to allow for the possibility of the city using the caissons as part of its East River Esplanade design,” said Lori Severino, a DEC spokeswoman, adding that the city needed to show progress toward a design if the caissons were to remain.

The caissons are just one of the many hurdles to closing the gap in the esplanade. Financing the missing link could cost up to $200 million in a complex real estate deal that would radically reshape the Midtown East neighborhood.

But to make that plan work, two city-owned office buildings currently occupied by the UN would have to be sold. A popular playground that shares a full block site with a ventilating tower for the Queens Midtown Tunnel would also have to be demolished to make way for a new UN building.

“This conversation has been going on for ten years,” said New York City council-member Daniel Garodnick. “The question is whether you could come to a preliminary agreement that would allow the process to move forward at all.”

Alex Ulam


Copyright © 2003-2010 | The Architect's Newspaper, LLC.

[Merry]

City Readying for 2nd Phase of East River Waterfront Construction

By Matt Dunning

http://www.tribecatrib.com/images/stories/2010/07-July/east-river-newfence.jpg



A rendering of the East River esplanade, with a redesigned
weathered steel fence separating the pedestrian walkway
from the bicycle path.

The city is nearing the start of the second phase of its sweeping redevelopment of Lower Manhattan’s East River Waterfront.

By November, the city says it plans to begin tearing up the existing sidewalk and bikeway along a 1,165-foot section of Lower Manhattan’s frontage on the East River, between the Battery Maritime Building and Wall Street. That stretch, “Package 2” of the city’s $150 million redevelopment of the waterfront between Whitehall Street and Rutgers Slip, will take approximately 14 months to finish and could open to the public as early as January 2012.

The southern section lacks the bolder attraction of the first phase of work now underway, which includes a new Pier 15 with pavilion and rooftop green space, and the “habitat restoration” work at Pier 35. But it will include the same hexagonal pavers, sleek-looking benches and lacquered wood-and-steel railings used throughout the planned two-mile, 14-million-square-foot park.

First shown the preliminary plans for the next phase last December, members of Community Board 1’s Waterfront Committee said they liked what they saw, with one notable exception: a series of shimmering metal walls used to separate cyclists and pedestrians. The committee members criticized the walls for their design and worried about their safety. On Monday, July 19, representatives of the city’s Economic Development Corp. returned to the committee with renderings of redesigned walls, much shorter in height than the original set.

“I like this much better,” Committee Chairman Bob Townley said. “I think it’s great that the EDC went back and listened to our suggestions.”

EDC had contemplated building a 6-foot-high, 150-foot-long perforated aluminum wall along the southernmost portion of the bikeway/walkway that would separate bike riders from pedestrians. But some CB1 members objected to the height and look of the wall, fearing that pedestrians might feel trapped as they walked between the wall and the rail at the water’s edge and lessening the experience of being by the water. There was also a complaint that the wall would block the vista for cyclists.

Now, SHoP Architect representative Cathy Jones told the committee, a three-and-a-half-foot high fence made of weathered steel will be erected, finished in a burnt orange paint matched to the hue of much of the new park’s wooden elements. The committee unanimously supported the change.

North of the Battery Maritime Building, near Pier 6, juniper trees and coastal grass would separate cyclists from pedestrians. Just below Pier 11, the north-south bike lanes would split to accommodate the current Fire Department parking lot beneath the FDR Drive. Along South Street, the city removed the bus-parking lane that once occupied the east side of the street in order to expand the bike lane. EDC had intended to hide the parking lot with an aluminum wall similar to one planned for the southern portion of the esplanade. That wall too has been replaced with the new, shorter design.

“It still has that slight undulation to it,” Jones said. “So we’re still kind of mimicking that idea of movement of the original wall.”

Above Pier 11, where the city will need to maintain an open corridor for the thousands of ferry riders, pedestrians will see little change. The new pavers, benches and railings would be installed around the pier to maintain uniformity with the rest of the park, Jones said, but the general layout of the pier and the adjacent plaza would remain largely the same.

Community Board 1 had previously supported zoning variances needed for the redevelopment project on the condition that the EDC bring its designs for the project before the board for its recommendations before construction begins. An EDC spokesman said the scope of work in Package 2 received final approval from the city’s Public Design Commission in April.

http://www.tribecatrib.com/news/2010/july/677_city-readying-for-second-phase-of-east-river-waterfront-construction.html

[Merry]

East River Floating Pool Concept Dives Right Into Our Hearts

July 23, 2010, by Joey

http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4073/4820942153_87cbe42f70_o.jpg

http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4140/4820942027_f7d1929613_s.jpg (http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4140/4820942027_8099f207d2_o.jpg) http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4082/4821558964_bc331c3997_s.jpg (http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4082/4821558964_1362dc2baf_o.png) http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4137/4821558834_9782d10bb2_s.jpg (http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4137/4821558834_f5a90d6be4_o.jpg) http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4120/4820942309_0dbf1d8dfa_s.jpg (http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4120/4820942309_879fe8a6e3_o.png) http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4114/4820942203_9feba8d470_s.jpg (http://cdn.cstatic.net/cache/gallery/4114/4820942203_e80de213a8_o.jpg)
(click to enlarge)

Dumpster pools? Yesterday's news. The latest innovation in the field of urban swimmin' holes is + Pool, a floating pool design we've become obsessed with in the five minutes since we discovered it. Yes, we know, floating pools are also a throwback topic (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/03/10/city_could_anchor_floating_pool_at_brooklyn_bridge _park.php), but look at this thing! It's actually four pools in one, as explained in a diagram that appears on the + Pool website (http://www.pluspool.org/) and in the photo gallery above, adding up to 9,000 square feet of splish-splashing and body image issues. C'mon, Bloomie, if we can stick creepy ghost statues (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/arts/design/16vogel.html) on Park Avenue, we can surely make this happen. River + Pool = Totally Awesome.

+ Pool (http://www.pluspool.org/) [pluspool.org via PSFK (http://www.psfk.com/2010/07/pool-the-future-of-water-recreation-in-new-york-city.html)]

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/07/23/east_river_floating_pool_concept_dives_right_into_ our_hearts.php

[londonlawyer]

The city dismantled the raised highway on the west side, and it did not cause traffic problems. Now it's being made into a beautiful boulevard.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4526687387_9832c4e2e3_b.jpg

In my opinion, the same should be done for the FDR, at the very least, south of the Brooklyn Bridge stop. Ideally, however, the FDR should be made into a West Street-garden boulevard for the entire stretch south of 96th Street. If drivers don't like it, they should take mass transit.

This is what the FDR should look like, and it should have pedestrian crossings so that people can access the East River.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4671672223_b5cc96df61_b.jpg

[Merry]

Park Rehab Ten Years in the Making

East River Park Won't Re-open Fully Until Next July

By Matthew Schuerman

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Residents of the Lower East Side and the East Village have been waiting for almost ten years to get their largest park -- East River Park, between Jackson Streets and 12th Street -- back in tact. And it’s still not finished.

One day in late June of 2001, the mile-long dilapidated riverfront promenade was suddenly shut down. The Giuliani administration feared it might collapse under the weight of the thousands of people who were expected for the Fourth of July fireworks just days later.
The city has reopened the park -- snuggled between the FDR Drive and the water -- segment by segment, as each segment is finished. The playing fields were revamped several years ago. A long stretch of the promenade opened earlier this year. But the three or four southernmost blocks are still shrouded behind a chain link fence.

James Raily, a medical assistant trainee who grew up nearby, welcomed the improvements.

“The railings to the poles right near the water, they used to be black,” he said. “The pavement had cracks.”

Raily used to ride his bike up and down the promenade with his father back in the 1990s. Now, 26-years-old, he visits with his girlfriend.

“It’s completely different now. It has more lights now. It’s more open, more exposed, like hey, everybody should have a good time,” he said.

But Raily and other East Village and Lower East Side residents have had to be patient.
Henry Stern, Mayor Giuliani’s parks commissioner, predicted the promenade would be closed for two years. That’s grown into something more like ten years.

Mayor Bloomberg’s parks commissioner, Adrian Benepe, actually had his first summer job cleaning up beer cans at East River Park. He returned to the Parks Department years later and worked his way up to Borough Parks Commissioner for Manhattan, the position he held when the promenade was shut down. He said he’d taken a close interest in the reconstruction.

“Quite frankly, I’m not satisfied with the pace of this project,” he told WNYC. “There have been times when I’ve gone there and thought I don’t think they have enough people on the job.”
The Parks Department chose the contractor, Pile Foundation Construction Company, in 2004 because it was the lowest bidder. According to an internal memo at the time, a database check uncovered some issues that came up during previous jobs that contractor conducted for the city, but nothing that disqualified the Long Island firm.

Benepe said the Parks Department considered defaulting the contractor, but decided against it because doing so would probably result in litigation, and more delays as the job was bid out again and a new company hired.

During the five years since construction began, Pile Foundation several times ran afoul of state laws intended to clean up New York’s waterways, according to the State Department of Environmental Conservation. Inspectors have cited the contractor for dumping dirt from the construction project into the East River, or failing to take steps to prevent such erosion from happening.

The DEC provided WNYC with a video that inspectors took that shows a dilapidated barge floating in the East River, with a large piece of Styrofoam about to fall off. Another video shows a back hoe dumping potentially contaminated debris into the East River.

“This is an unusual situation,” a DEC official, Regina Seetahal, said in an e-mail. “The number of violations, their duration, and the level of gross negligence and misconduct encountered during this construction project are rather unusual and not comparable to most other projects.”

Anthony Rivara, the company’s president, wouldn’t return phone calls. In 2007 and again in 2009, he waived his right to dispute DEC’s allegations and agreed to pay a total of $350,000 in fines.

The DEC has also cited Rivara for sinking barges that he had been using at other construction sites in New York waterways -- though none of those events took place before the bids for East River Park were opened.

Neither the violations, nor the park’s delays, have gotten much attention. Perhaps that’s because the East River Park is easily confused with a much flashier new park planned for the riverfront immediately to the south: the East River Esplanade.

Emir Lewis, a filmmaker who grew up on the Lower East Side, had another theory. He moved back to the neighborhood several years ago and goes running in the park frequently.

“I don’t think people ever expected it to get done in a prompt fashion,” he told WNYC. “I don’t think there’s a lot of anger. If this was happening on the Upper East Side, there would be people burning draft cards in the street.”

Benepe said the park’s reconstruction should be completed by next July.

http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2010/oct/19/park-rehab-10-years-making/

[ZippyTheChimp]

Pier 13 area
http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/3816/eastriverwaterfronnt09c.th.jpg (http://img545.imageshack.us/i/eastriverwaterfronnt09c.jpg/)

New Pier 15
http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/3193/pier1501c.th.jpg (http://img688.imageshack.us/i/pier1501c.jpg/) http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/8237/pier1502c.th.jpg (http://img502.imageshack.us/i/pier1502c.jpg/)

[Sherpa]

First Part of Revamped East River Waterfront Opening Soon (http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/11/01/first_part_of_revamped_east_river_waterfront_openi ng_soon.php)

Monday, November 1, 2010, by Sara Polsky
[/URL]



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After some time spent left in the dust of the Hudson River waterfront and Brooklyn Bridge Park revamps, the East River Waterfront had had enough. Phase 1 of the East Side's waterfront redo kicked off last summer, with work on piers 15 and 35. The first bit of that work will finish up at the end of the year, and a two-block section between Maiden Lane and Wall Street will open to the public. [URL="http://www.dnainfo.com/20101101/downtown/city-offers-glimpse-of-new-east-river-waterfront"]DNAinfo (http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcurbed.cc%2FbkcNJ0&counturl=http%3A%2F%2Fny.curbed.com%2Farchives%2F2 010%2F11%2F01%2Ffirst_part_of_revamped_east_river_ waterfront_opening_soon.php) took a tour and reveals some of the highlights, including a series of stone steps leading to the water, bar-style seating along the railing, and a 4,300-square-foot dog run with a giant sculpture of a squirrel, for dogs who just don't get excited about hexagonal pavers.

[mariab]

Anyone (Radiohead where are you?!?) have any pics of the E.R. waterfront north of 59th st, preferably before '75? Thanks a million in advance. :))

[Sherpa]

The section south of the Seaport is nearing completion. Lots of greenery is starting to appear.

[Sherpa]

Starting to look like the High Line in places!

[Merry]

East River Promenade Shows Off $84 Million in Improvements

January 18, 2011, by Joey Arak

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[Photos by Will Femia.]

If it seems like the entire East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan has been under construction for years, that's because it has been. But the East River Park's promenade is no longer a mark of shame, at least not along the Lower East Side and East Village, where the renovation of the two-mile stretch of promenade between Cherry Street an 14th Street is now just about finished. And it only took six years!

There's still 600 feet to go, but most of the 6,600-foot walkway is looking good, even underneath the snow. The $84 million in refurbishments includes boring stuff like replacing sewers and concrete, and fun stuff like two new embayment bridges with fluorescent lights. The whole thing should be done when the weather is warm enough to truly enjoy it. Shout-out to the taxpayers in the crowd.

Five years later, East River Park work almost done (http://thevillager.com/villager_403/fiveyearslater.html) [The Villager]

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2011/01/18/east_river_promenade_shows_off_84_million_in_impro vements.php

[Sherpa]

.

[Merry]

New York's First Carbon Neutral Building to Rise On East River

Eco-education group Solar One plans to build the city's first carbon neutral building — as soon as it raises $6 million.

By Amy Zimmer

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slide show (http://www.dnainfo.com/20110221/murray-hill-gramercy/new-yorks-first-carbon-neutral-building-rise-on-east-river/slideshow/popup/61404)
MANHATTAN — Imagine a building completely off the grid.

It would have a canopy of solar panels and walls covered in vegetation that would be lush in the summer to keep things cool and sparse in the winter to allow the sun to get in and warm the building. It would re-use rainwater and have windows positioned in such a way that lights wouldn't be needed until the sun goes down.

The building would also be a community resource, teaching people how to incorporate green strategies on a local level to be "a good eco-citizen," according to the developers behind Solar 2, a $12.5 million, 8,000-square-foot structure set to rise along the East River at 23rd Street.

"Essentially, the biggest problem in New York City with climate change and global warming is that 77 percent of our buildings account for the CO2 emissions," said Pauline Augustine, marketing associate for Solar One, the eco-education nonprofit behind Solar 2.

"That is the challenge. This building is going to be a living, breathing example of how to put together something innovative," she said.

Solar 2 would be the city's first carbon-neutral, net-zero energy building, generating as much energy as it uses and producing extra to give back to the city's grid.

"You will be able to stand under the photovoltaic cells and understand how they work," Augustine said. "The whole building is going to be an exercise in learning."

The new building, which would also include a hydroponic greenhouse growing its own strawberries, lettuces and other edibles for its rooftop "Eco-Café," would replace a tiny structure the group erected seven years ago.

That 500-square-foot building has the distinction of being the city's first solar-powered office building, Augustine said. The tiny building will be deconstructed and either re-used elsewhere or its materials will be recycled.

But it's not easy being green without enough green: The organization can't put shovels in the ground of the land it leases from the city along the FDR Drive until it raises the project's entire $12.5 million price tag. So far, it's raised $6.5 million, Augustine said.

"The economic climate is putting a damper in things," acknowledged Augustine.

Still, Solar 2 has already won accolades, garnering the prestigious Holcim Gold North America Award, from a Swedish-based foundation for "bringing the eco-building vision into reality."

Solar One, which offers workshops, green job training and film, music and dance programs (powered, of course, with solar energy) needs the bigger space. The nonprofit sprouted over the last three years from an operation with a $600,000 budget and a staff of six to a budget of $2 million and 30 full and part time workers, executive director Chris Collins told Community Board 6 residents at a meeting a couple of months ago.

Unlike other green buildings that now dot the city, like the Bank of America building in Midtown, Solar 2 would give visitors an inside peek on how everything works with cutaways and transparent walls.

"I call it a jewel of the eco-friendly buildings scene in New York," Augustine said.

http://www.dnainfo.com/20110221/murray-hill-gramercy/new-yorks-first-carbon-neutral-building-rise-on-east-river#ixzz1ElwOEV5U

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2011/02/22/in_20_years_the_east_river_waterfront_might_have_z ero_energy.php

[Sherpa]

.

[Merry]

East River Waterfront Will Likely Open in May, City Says

The park between Maiden Lane and Wall Street, which includes a 4,300-square-foot dog run, opens in May.

By Julie Shapiro

slide show (http://www.dnainfo.com/20110329/downtown/east-river-waterfront-will-likely-open-may-city-says/slideshow/popup/68143)

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FINANCIAL DISTRICT — The first section of the East River Waterfront will likely open in May, the city Economic Development Corp. said this week. The much-anticipated waterfront park was originally supposed to open last December, but it has been delayed while the city adds the finishing touches.

The two-block esplanade between Maiden Lane and Wall Street is the first piece of the much larger new $150 million East River Waterfront, which will run from the Battery Maritime Building to the Lower East Side and will open in stages over the next several years.

The highlight of this section is a 4,300-square-foot oval dog run, which is already fenced in and features a tall tree sculpture and an oversized doghouse and dog bone. The section also includes a series of stone steps leading down to the water, offering sweeping views of the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Other features of the esplanade that are already in place include benches, tables and planters filled with trees and shrubbery.

http://www.dnainfo.com/20110329/downtown/east-river-waterfront-will-likely-open-may-city-says#ixzz1I4fVXHCh

[Merry]

City Could Open Swath of East River Waterfront to the Public

Money has been allocated to study costs and challenges of opening the waterfront from East 38th to East 60th streets.

By Amy Zimmer

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Abandoned Pier 38

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MURRAY HILL — As the city works to revitalize Manhattan's waterfront with green space, one large stretch has remained cut off to the public.

But now plans are inching forward to open the area along the East River from East 38th Street to East 60th Street, where the FDR Drive and the United Nations have blocked residents' access to the waterfront.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's long-term waterfront plan, Vision 2020 (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/cwp/index.shtml), called for significant improvements to this greenway gap.

Bloomberg's plan echoed the community's desire for a public park at an East 38th Street pier, which has been sitting fallow since Con Edison sold the site in 2005.

It also raises the possibility of making a deal with the United Nations, in which the city would allow the UN to build on a part of Robert Moses playground (http://www.dnainfo.com/20101210/murray-hill-gramercy/east-side-park-may-get-razed-build-new-united-nations-tower) on First Avenue between East 41st and East 42nd streets in exchange for a public waterfront esplanade.

The plan also called for an esplanade to be built on existing piles — left behind from a 2002 temporary FDR Drive roadway — between East 53rd to 59th streets.
It did not, however, set aside any money to build any of these projects.
But there is money now to do a study on what could actually be built in the area, and how much it will cost.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney secured $475,000 in federal funding from the Surface Transportation Program and state funding from the Department of Environmental Conservation for a feasibility study of the engineering, design, landscaping and other planning related to the new esplanade for her East Side district.

The city's Economic Development Corporation issued a request for proposals for the study on Tuesday.

"The mayor has been staunchly advocating a green belt around Manhattan, but so far there has not been much concrete action in the east Midtown area," Maloney said in a statement. "This study will help us gain a better understanding of the costs and complications involved in building a new esplanade at this location."

Since Community Board 6 is among the areas most bereft of open space in the city, residents here have long sought new parks, and have eyed the 34,000-square-foot Pier 38 as a spot for one.

The former Con Edison site, from East 38th to East 41st streets, was originally built to receive coal deliveries, before it was transformed into a parking lot.

The structure would have to be renovated or reconstructed, according to the RFP. The Municipal Art Society is expected to host a design summit this summer with architects to envision how this pier could become a public jewel in the future, the RFP noted.

The only way to get to this part of the waterfront now is through a cavernous urine-stenched passageway at East 37th Street.

The feasibility study would also focus on improving this connection to the waterfront as well as others, including at 42nd Street and possibly turning an existing elevated deck structure at East 48th Street that is part of the UN campus into a waterfront esplanade.

Building the esplanade in front of the United Nations, of course, has another set of sticky issues. For one, coordination with the UN and NYPD on security issues would be necessary, the RFP pointed out.

Despite the looming bureaucratic issues, residents think the study is a step in the right direction.

"Rather than hiding our waterfront behind chain link fences and highways, we hope to see the day when we can actually enjoy the East River's shore," said Mark Thompson, chair of Community Board 6.

"It's a lot of money for a study, but this is a lot of work. It's not small potatoes," said Ellen Imbimbo, chair of CB6's waterfront committee. "It's a huge area and it will be a while before anything comes of it. But this will be a giant step forward in assessing the needs."

http://www.dnainfo.com/20110414/murray-hill-gramercy/city-could-open-swath-of-east-river-waterfront-public#ixzz1JaMi4D79

[econ_tim]

that would be great

anybody know what is going on in the northern reaches of the esplanade? a few blocks south of 125th street, there is a fence that blocks access to points further north. does this have anything to do with bridge construction?

[MidtownGuy]

East Midtown needs this badly. You've got the river right there, and yet getting to it is nearly impossible. I've lived in midtown for years and I still have no idea how to reach the water because it's an obstacle course of fences and restricted areas over there. It sucks.

[Merry]

East River Waterfront Opens First Section Near Wall Street

The new two-block park runs from Wall Street to Maiden Lane, and is the first section of the East River Waterfront.

By Julie Shapiro

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FINANCIAL DISTRICT — The long-awaited first section of the East River Waterfront opened Monday morning, earning rave reviews from downtown office workers and dog owners.

The new two-block park runs along the East River from Maiden Lane to Wall Street and features a dog run, seating surrounded by lush plantings and steps leading down to the water, all connected by a stone path open to the sky.

"I love it," said Julie Joseph, 50, a nonprofit worker who relaxed on a bench overlooking the East River during her lunch break on Monday. "I don't want to go back to my office."

The esplanade offers sweeping views of the East River, the South Street Seaport and the Brooklyn Bridge. A salty breeze blew off the water Monday afternoon, cooling even the sunniest sections of the promenade.

Some of the happiest users of the new park were C'mere and C'mon, Jack Russell terrier sisters who frolicked in the new 4,300-square-foot oval dog run. They splashed in the fountain, darted in and out of the oversized doghouse and hid behind large sculptures of a squirrel and a dog bone.

"It's the best dog run in lower Manhattan," said Patrick Fox, 51, a Financial District resident and owner of the dogs. "I like it because they can chase each other around the obstacles. It's not just concrete."

On a quieter set of benches nearby, Mellissa Pagan, 28, a Staten Island resident, read a magazine. She said it was hard to believe that she was just a few steps from Wall Street.
"It's really nice," she said. "The smell of the ocean, the greenery, the peacefulness."

The Economic Development Corp., which built the park, opened it quietly Monday morning and declined to comment pending an official announcement.

This is just the first section of the larger $167 million East River Waterfront project, designed by SHoP Architects, which will create a landscaped walkway and bike path from the Battery Maritime Building all the way up to Pier 35, just north of the Manhattan Bridge.

The next piece of the project to open will be the new two-level Pier 15 (http://www.dnainfo.com/20110614/downtown/city-seeks-new-profitable-ideas-for-seaports-pier-15), which could be ready later this year.

http://www.dnainfo.com/20110627/downtown/east-river-waterfront-opens-first-section-near-wall-street#ixzz1QYwTPdOY

[MidtownGuy]

very nice. the East Side needs this. onward to Midtown please!!!

[Sherpa]

East River Promenade Park lunchtime today.

[lofter1]

Nice ^

And the hex pavers are so CLEAN. No gum stains ... yet.

[GordonGecko]

Still quite shocked that Bloomberg hasn't launched an anti-littering enforcement initiative that would include cigarette butts, food wrappers, and yes... bubble gum

[ZippyTheChimp]

New Yorkers litter too much. I especially dislike empty beverage containers that are left on any handy flat surface.

And chewing gum. I don't think I've ever just spit gum out on the ground. I've swallowed it a few times, though.

[Derek2k3]

Tourists are bad too. Just look at the aftermath of the SoL line is Battery Park.

[lofter1]

Friends who visit always remark on how trash-ridden NYC is. What is about the City that seems to encourage folks to toss their stuff aside? Simply too many people and not enough handy receptacles?

[GordonGecko]

I think the primary reason is the sheer volume of people + consumable products/disposable packaging versus the availability of empty garbage cans, many of which are often filled to the brim. But there's also a big group of people that are just lazy slobs that have never been held accountable and just dump their trash wherever they're finished with it.

[JCMAN320]

I think the primary reason is the sheer volume of people + consumable products/disposable packaging versus the availability of empty garbage cans, many of which are often filled to the brim. But there's also a big group of people that are just lazy slobs that have never been held accountable and just dump their trash wherever they're finished with it.

I agree with you completely. The receptacles are not emptied often enough and are too small to hold the amount they are expected too. In JC they have just begun installing hundreds of these new garbage cans that double as trash compactors and are solar powered. Well see how these work and how long they work if they aren't vandalized.

[MidtownGuy]

It seems to me that tourists are worse offenders than locals when it comes to litter.

I live in midtown, in an area frequented by loads of tourists, and I can tell you that many times I see tourists leaving their drinks or wrappers right where they were sitting...no attempt to walk it to the bin.

Yesterday I saw two European guys take the sneakers they just bought from Niketown out of the boxes and leave the boxes and tissue right on the bench.:mad: They just don't care. Maybe they think we all do this?

Several times I have cursed out these tourists, telling them people LIVE here...it is not Disney World...and would they like me to come to Europe and leave trash in their neighborhoods.

[Merry]

Con Ed, U.N. moves boost East River park odds

City plugs away at separate deals that could someday transform stretch of waterfront from East 38th to East 60th streets into green ribbon of park space

By Theresa Agovino


Efforts to create a bigger and more comprehensive park on Manhattan's East Side waterfront are progressing.

The city will soon begin infrastructure work on an East River pier located between East 38th and East 41st streets that was once leased to Consolidated Edison Co. and could anchor around 34,000 square feet of new public space. The work, which will include rehabilitating the pier's piles and decking, will be funded by a $13 million payment from Con Edison that was part of earlier requirements under its previous lease.

“Creating new waterfront access … will reconnect New Yorkers and visitors to the water, helping to reclaim New York City's standing as one of the world's premier waterfront cities,” said Seth Pinsky, president of the New York City Economic Development Corp., in a statement.

A completion date for the revamped pier and new park space will be determined as the early design work progresses, an EDC spokesman said.

Meanwhile, city and state legislators have moved a step closer on a highly complex urban redevelopment plan that ultimately would close a 21-block gap in the East Side waterfront promenade that runs between East 38th and East 60th streets. The plan involves, in part, razing a playground near East 42nd Street to construct a new tower for the United Nations and selling city-owned buildings that currently host U.N. offices.

After receiving an official request from the City Council, the state Legislature last month passed a law that lets city and state officials sign a “memorandum of understanding” by Oct. 10 and allow for the future demolition of Robert Moses Playground so the United Nations could build a tower on the 29,000-square-foot blacktop. The park is on First Avenue, across East 42nd Street from the international body.

The legislation is necessary because it takes state approval to eliminate a park, yet legislators won't be in session during the fall when the U.N. is expected to decide whether to move forward with the plan. The memorandum would allow local state representatives to require conditions be met before a deal could proceed. The plan would also be subject to the city's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure.

The legislation has yet to be signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. A call to a governor's spokesman wasn't immediately returned, but Mr. Cuomo is expected to sign the legislation.

“We've written this legislation to allow a new phase of talks on projects that could be a huge boon for the community, the U.N. and the general public, but with ironclad assurances that nothing will be final until we work out the terms,” said state Rep. Brian Kavanagh, who represents neighborhoods on Manhattan's East Side.

The City Council recently passed what is called a home rule message requesting the state to enact the legislation that would allow a deal to go through. “There is a limited opportunity here to craft an agreement that respects the community's need for open space and waterfront access and the United Nations' need for a new building,” said City Councilman Dan Garodnick. “We will spend the next number of months to see if we can strike a deal that works.”

Meanwhile, the city last month tapped the firm AECOM to provide engineering, design and planning services for the project and study both its cost and feasibility. In the past, experts have estimated the project could cost between $150 million and $200 million. There is no funding for it currently.

The broader plan to fill the riverside promenade's gap is also complicated. To fund the construction, the U.N. would pay about $75 million for the playground lot. The city would also sell two office buildings it now leases to the U.N., which sources told Crain's last year could fetch between $150 million and $300 million.

Any deal faces substantial obstacles, however. It would require a wide variety of approvals and would have to be coordinated by multiple city, state and federal agencies.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20110705/REAL_ESTATE/110709982

[Merry]

Catching Up

Three blocks of esplanade finally open on the East River.

by Tom Stoelker

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The East River Waterfront Esplanade as seen from Pier 11. [Peter Mauss/Esto]

With all eyes fixed on everything coming up roses on the West Side’s High Line, City Planning has been concentrating on the East. The long-term goal of connecting the lushly-landscaped promenades and bike paths of the West Side to the heavily trafficked spaghetti of the East Side moved a step closer with the opening on July 14 of the section from Pier 11 at Wall Street to Pier 15 at South Street Seaport. “After 9/11 we said that the most important thing for lower Manhattan is rebuilding and the transformation of the East River,” said City Planning commissioner Amanda Burden. The plans for the park are being developed with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and will ultimately extend up to Pier 35 just north of Manhattan Bridge.

With much of the park sitting beneath the FDR Drive, the Esplanade will likely draw comparisons to the High Line for its embrace of infrastructure, though it’s literally the flipside. Here, it’s about being beneath, not above. “Embracing the FDR seems so obvious now, but it wasn’t so obvious then,” said Burden. “It provides important shade and it’s an organizing principle for all of the programming.”



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Left to right: The view from Wall Street; the seatwall with Riverside chair groupings; Ductile concrete seatwall with skateboard proof steel trim. (AN/Stoelker)





While the overall look —a collaboration between SHoP Architects and landscape architect Ken Smith—is quite different from the High Line,, it establishes its own signature designs. So-called Get-Downs, bleacher-like stairways that drop down to water level and give visitors a chance to get their feet wet and feel the river spray, occur at several key spots, one directly across Wall Street, and allow uninterrupted sightlines. “We thought an important way to connect was that you could see the water all the way back into the city,” said SHoP’s Gregg Pasquarelli. “The railing drops so that the view corridors from the city are unobstructed.”

A line of barstools sit up against ipe wooden rails providing another unimpeded perch. The rail is wide enough to support lunch or a book. The designers also used ipe for slats in two patterns for bench seating, inspired by shipping crates and pallets. At Burden’s insistence, seating is arranged in multiple groups of two or four, around chess tables, and, for the more harried New Yorker, alone.



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Left to right: Barstools' lunchtime perch; the veiw from the Ferry; The Dog Run's "Tree".




Landscape architect Ken Smith sporadically arranged multi-hued grey hexagon pavers riffing on a highly pixilated photo of the water. He also designed a series of planting beds or “dunes” rising from six inches to about two feet high. The effect creates several berms at various angles that morph on one side into “seat walls” made of ductile concrete, edged in skateboard-proof stainless steel. “There’s an emphasis on native plants, while the modulated seating and dunes create a meandering walkway,” said Smith. In the dog run, Smith got to break out his pop art with a giant bone, towering tree stump, and bear-sized squirrel all made of concrete.

This fall, the bi-level Pier 15 also by SHoP will be finished. The 517-foot-long upper pier features an extended lawn and small “forest,”while a maritime museum and café sit below. Next summer, at Maiden Lane a pavilion café, run by the same operator as the Pier 15 café, will open. The final phases of the project from Broad Street to Old Slip and from Pike and Allen Streets up to Pier 35 are expected to be completed in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=5536

[lofter1]

" ... several berms at various angles that morph on one side into “seat walls” made of ductile concrete, edged in skateboard-proof stainless steel."

This design feature, done very well by means of a strip of beefy L-shaped steel that wraps the entire edge and extends for the full length of the seating, is a very smart fix for this urban "problem" and hopefully will mean that these benches don't end up knicked and scarred like so many other stone seats seen all over town.

[Derek2k3]

I still hope someday the city landfills some this stretch of river and create some kind of BPC-esque development.
And with the FDR there, the park just feels underwhelming.

[macreator]

Lighting up the underside of the newly painted FDR viaduct really makes the scene look neat at night.

[Merry]

Residents Dream of Green Future for Derelict Murray Hill Pier

By Mary Johnson
(http://www.dnainfo.com/20110727/murray-hill-gramercy/residents-dream-of-green-future-for-derelict-murray-hill-pier#comments)
MURRAY HILL — A decaying pier that stretches along the East River betwen 38th and 41st streets could soon be transformed to house a meandering bike path, community gardens, an urban farm, play areas and art.

The proposal was one the ideas that emerged from a day-long brainstorming session hosted by the Municipal Art Society.

The conference, at NYU Langone Medical Center Tuesday, brought together members of Community Board 6, residents, architects and elected officials to discuss hopes for the 34,000-square-foot pier, previously operated by Con Edison.

Other ideas included adding a plant buffer to diminish some of the noise from the FDR, an amphitheater for public performances, a dog run, water access, an urban beach and an additional pedestrian access point that would cross the FDR from the north.

Currently, the pier is only accessible from the south, at East 38th Street.

“What you’re doing today is exactly the kind of real-life urban planning that translates into a better environment for our future,” said State Senator Liz Krueger in remarks at the beginning of the event. “We have an opportunity to put together very complex pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.”

The situation is indeed complex, and it is just a small part of a longstanding plan to close the gap in the East River waterfront by extending the greenway from East 38th Street to East 60th Street.

The main problem is funding. Con Edison paid the city $13 million to fulfill its lease agreement for the pier. That money is needed to fix the pier’s infrastructure.

“It’s in terrible condition,” said Joshua R. Laird, assistant commissioner for planning and parklands for the New York City Parks Department.

“We have a significant amount of money,” he added, referencing the $13 million from Con Edison. “But all of that will be needed just to essentially rebuild the pier.”

City Council Member Daniel Garodnick said that $1 million of the city’s budget has been secured “to jumpstart creation of amenities in what will be our pier.”

But that’s not a lot of money, as far as building waterfront is concerned.

Laird, of the Parks Department, provided examples of the costs of other waterfront parks in New York. For example, the Riverside Park “Riverwalk,” which closed an eight-block gap in the West Side greenway from 83rd Street to 91st Street, cost about $430 per square foot, Laird said.

The Riverwalk occupies about 33,000 square feet, which brings the total cost of that strip of greenway to more than $14 million.

There’s also the potential for more funds, should the city and the United Nations come to terms on a land swap. But that too is controversial.
Despite the heated topics involved, the groups participating in the event found common ground at many points throughout the day.

Most agreed that adding an access point at East 41st Street was vital. Many suggested creating a conservancy or similar organization to help keep the pier clean and viable once it’s finished. Conference participants also wanted an identity for the park, a name and a brand.

Near the end of the event, a man identifying himself as real estate mogul Sheldon Solow made a brief appearance. Solow, whose firm is developing a big chunk of land nearby, stood up and announced that he intends to transform one block in the area into a park.

Solow said he would formally present his plans in a few days but did not offer further comment.

The Municipal Art Society plans to take all the ideas presented at the conference on Tuesday and incorporate them into one vision for the East Side waterfront park, said Raju Mann, the director of planning for the society.

Mann said the society will present that vision to the city in the hopes that resident input will be incorporated into the final design.

“All these kinds of things in New York City take forever to build,” Mann said. “So you need a combination of perseverance and persistence to get this kind of stuff done.”

In addition, the city has commissioned a feasibility study to be conducted for the entire swath of proposed greenway from East 38th Street to East 60th Street. The consultant running that study, AECOM, was also at the conference on Tuesday.

“So they’re listening, which is great,” Mann said.

For the participants, several said they enjoyed the brainstorming session. Joy Garland, a Stuyvesant Town resident and a member of Community Board 6, called it a “privilege.”

“That’s the first word that comes to mind,” Garland said.

Garland said she particularly enjoyed being included in the early stages of the planning process and interacting with individuals representing different aspects of that process.

“It was a very holistic approach to planning,” Garland said.

In addition to the conference, State Senator Liz Krueger, City Council Member Daniel Garodnick and Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh have launched a new website to keep the community informed about the waterfront project (http://www.dnainfo.com/20110721/murray-hill-gramercy/got-ideas-for-un-land-swap-east-river-esplanade-electeds-want-know).

The officials will also give residents an opportunity to provide their input on waterfront development plans at three public forums in August and September. The first forum is scheduled for August 4.

“This is the beginning of the conversation,” Garodnick said.

East Side residents have long envied the West Side waterfront for its Fairway grocery store and for its greenway, Garodnick joked.

The East Side now has a Fairway (http://www.dnainfo.com/20110720/upper-east-side/new-fairway-opening-on-east-86th-street-draws-crowds). And its greenway is in the works.

http://www.dnainfo.com/20110727/murray-hill-gramercy/residents-dream-of-green-future-for-derelict-murray-hill-pier#ixzz1TOqkX88x

[Merry]

Stuyvesant Cove Park Celebrates 10th Anniversary

By Mary Johnson

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STUYVESANT TOWN — As debate continues over how the East River waterfront greenway will be developed (http://www.dnainfo.com/20110727/murray-hill-gramercy/residents-dream-of-green-future-for-derelict-murray-hill-pier), one success story is celebrating a milestone. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Stuyvesant Cove Park.

The park, which occupies about two acres of riverfront where East 20th Street meets the FDR Drive, has had several past lives. It was once a concrete manufacturing plant and a parking lot.

At one point during the 1980s, the land was slated to be turned into five residential towers that would have been built out onto the water and known collectively as Riverwalk.

“For years, our community has wanted a park along the river,” said Joy Garland, executive director emerita of the Stuyvesant Cove Park Association.

“When we heard about [the towers,] we said, ‘No, this is not what we want.'"

The community banded together and formed an organization called Citizens United Against Riverwalk, Garland said. And in the end, their lobbying efforts succeeded in convincing the city to opt for a park instead of more apartments.

Now, Stuyvesant Cove Park is full of native plants and is home to the city’s first stand-alone, solar-powered building, Solar 1, which serves as a green-energy education center.

“It shows that nature is alive and thriving in New York City—an urban area—and that people come to the park to be renewed by what nature offers,” Garland said.

Daisy Hoyt, the manager of Stuyvesant Cove Park, said she constantly sees picnickers, walkers and runners in the park.

“It’s not very well-known in the city in general, but I think there's a lot of people in the neighborhood who use it on a regular basis,” Hoyt said.

On Thursday, the park had a steady stream of visitors. Women pushed strollers along the meandering path. Teenagers clustered around the railing overlooking the East River, and joggers and bicyclists cruised down a dedicated two-lane path alongside the FDR.

Some, like Susan Field, have lived in the area long enough to remember what it looked like before Stuyvesant Cove Park existed.

“Before it was here, it was awful. You wouldn’t even come over here,” said Field, who has lived across the street from Stuyvesant Town for 25 years.
“It was just kind of dirty and nasty,” she added.

But on Thursday, she was sitting facing the East River with her dog Pepper at her feet. She said she has started coming to the park more often recently, about once or twice a month.

She and her husband like to walk through the park and talk, said Field, a Protestant chaplain at New York University.

But she said she also comes to pray and to spend some time outside with Pepper.

Ron Reineke, a retired Vietnam vet who was born and raised on East 24th Street, sat and smoked as he stared out at the seaplanes taking off and landing in the East River.

Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays are big days for the planes, he said, surmising millionaires traveling to and from the Hamptons were the cause.

“I call him the Red Baron,” Reineke said, gesturing toward a bright red plane chugging along in the water.

Currently, there are no events planned to celebrate the park's 10th anniversary, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be, Garland said.

Two years after the park was built, community members, donors and elected officials held a dedication ceremony for it, said Garland.

She has a photo of the event in her home, and she laughed as she recalled how everybody stood, scissors at the ready, just waiting to cut the ribbon.

“We’re very lucky to have that park,” Garland said.

http://www.dnainfo.com/20110729/murray-hill-gramercy/stuyvesant-cove-park-celebrates-10th-anniversary#ixzz1TZr8wqhX

[macreator]

Near the end of the event, a man identifying himself as real estate mogul Sheldon Solow made a brief appearance. Solow, whose firm is developing a big chunk of land nearby, stood up and announced that he intends to transform one block in the area into a park.

Solow said he would formally present his plans in a few days but did not offer further comment.



I wouldn't believe this if it weren't for the fact that Solow is known to be a rather eccentric guy to put it mildly.

[ZippyTheChimp]

http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/2364/eastriverwaterfronnt10c.th.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/832/eastriverwaterfronnt10c.jpg/)

[scumonkey]

nice shot zippy ;)

[ZippyTheChimp]

Something completely different.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5966/eastriverwaterfronnt11c.th.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/eastriverwaterfronnt11c.jpg/)

[Merry]

Four girls, then four helicopters. Is there a theme going on here, Zip?

[ZippyTheChimp]

At dinner:

"How was your day?"

"Spent the afternoon at the East Side waterfront. Took a nice picture of helicopters."

[Ninjahedge]

Something completely different.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5966/eastriverwaterfronnt11c.th.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/eastriverwaterfronnt11c.jpg/)

And there was much rejoicing....


www.youtube.com/watch?v=enSYlCEz5VI

[Don31]

Something completely different.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5966/eastriverwaterfronnt11c.th.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/eastriverwaterfronnt11c.jpg/)

Great, just what's needed.....

[Sherpa]

.

[GordonGecko]

when & why did field weeds become so in vogue in the NYC parks aesthetic. Enough already, how about we see some actual grass in one of these new parks

[ZippyTheChimp]

1. It's not a park.

2. Who's gonna mow the lawn?

[GordonGecko]

1. It's not a park.

2. Who's gonna mow the lawn?
The highline & waterfront developments are very much considered parks by the city. If sodded, the grass would be mowed by the same people who conduct other necessary maintenance on the parks. Grass may not be appropriate for all these parks but it would be nice to see every once in a while. I'm personally just completely over the wild flowers / weeds look. Maybe not grass but can we please try something else

[lofter1]

.... how about we see some actual grass in one of these new parks

Much of what you see that's been planted recently throughout newer NYC are seasonal grasses. They are low maintenance, and well adapted to the climate and have "visual interest" throughout the seasons.

Seems what you're yearning for is an expanse of sod. That's very high maintenance and requires lots of water. Not to mention fertilizer.

Which doesn't stop them from putting it in here (http://inhabitat.com/nyc/exclusive-photos-of-new-york-citys-high-line-park-section-2/high-line-lawn/) and there (http://blog.cheapoair.com/image.axd?picture=2011%2F6%2FBrooklyn+Bridge+Park. jpg), troublesome (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/bridge_park_lawn_warn_880VcDyibeDWIh9T09OkHL) and expensive as they might be, mainly because people expect and want it so much.

Blame Capability Brown (http://thlandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2011/01/evolution-of-lawn.html).

[ZippyTheChimp]

The highline & waterfront developments are very much considered parks by the city.The High Line is officially a NYC park, operated by the Parks Dept in partnership with the High Line Org. HRP is NYC-NYS park run by an organization created for that purpose. Waterfront parks like Riverside and East River Park are officially NYC parks. Some have funding organizations, like the Riverside Park Fund.


If sodded, the grass would be mowed by the same people who conduct other necessary maintenance on the parks.I'm not so sure. The agency responsible for the project is the NYCEDC, and from their website:
"regional, low maintenance plants will be used for landscaping; and rainwater harvesting of stormwater runoff to maintain the esplanade's various planted spaces."

[lofter1]

Just as lawns are now discouraged as the go-to landscaping option throughout the southwest (duh - desert areas aren't the smartest place to plant water hungry species), landscape architects who design public parks are opting for plants that earn their keep.

Due to overuse and conditions that compromise the root system many of the large lawn areas in NYC are kept off limits half the time or more. Plus for 1/4 of the year such expanses offer little more than a uniform sea of brown.

[ZippyTheChimp]

The ballfields at BPC were just converted to synthetic turf. Couldn't stand up to 1200 hours of use per year.

Earlier this summer when they started, I was talking to a Parkie on site. Several substrates, a liner, rock, sand, cushioning. The infill is natural, cork and ground coconut shells, applied under the mat and between the blades. Water drains through and is collected in underground pipes.

[Ninjahedge]

It's a bummer, but grass lawns were not made for high continual use.

So we wither get something that can be used, or something that is nice to look at that nobody can touch.

[ZippyTheChimp]

It's not so bad. I suppose it's as good as synthetic grass can get.

[Ninjahedge]

I know what you are saying, but I still prefer grass over "grass".

[Sherpa]

.

[Merry]

Phillip Lopate Kicks Off Design Contest For a New East River Waterfront

By Amy Zimmer

more renderings on Close the Gap website (http://www.d3space.org/closethegap/)

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UPPER EAST SIDE — The stretch of the East River esplanade from East 60th to 125th streets is often underused and difficult to access. It's suffered neglect over the years and is dotted with sinkholes. It's narrow in many places and noisy from cars on the FDR buzzing past.

Phillip Lopate has walked this stretch of Manhattan's waterfront.

In fact, he's walked along the island's entire perimeter, chronicling his journeys in the 2004 book "Waterfront." That's why Civitas, a community group trying to jumpstart the revitalization of this crumbling part of the East River shoreline, invited him to kick off its design competition re-imagining a new life for the space. (http://www.dnainfo.com/20110927/upper-east-side/civic-group-seeks-bold-ideas-for-crumbling-east-river-waterfront)

"We need not just a land policy, but a water policy," Lopate said to a crowd at the Park Avenue Armory Wednesday night. "We need to encourage people as much as possible to use the water, whether it's for boating or fishing. … I wish there were more opportunities to get to the water and stick your hand in it."

Lopate is an advocate for a waterfront with a mix of active and passive uses. He talked about the possibilities of a "soft" river's edge with marshes or beaches.
"There are all sorts of things you can do if you let your imagination run wild," he said.

He imagined a waterfront with clam or mussel boats tied up selling fresh catch, or movie theaters along the river. Or, for those who find private use of public space distasteful, he suggested a waterfront post office, school or police precinct.

"We need a way to weave [the waterfront] into the normal street life in New York City," he said. "If we can re-knit the vibrant city and bring it to the river's edge, that's very useful."

Upper East Sider Barbara Rudder, who co-chairs Community Board 8's parks committee and has been a staunch supporter of fixing the waterfront, has long dreamed of ways to create more space for a waterfront hemmed in by the FDR Drive. One idea she had was to remove some tree pits along the esplanade and then add a wall full of foliage next to the highway to muffle the noise.

Rudder asked Lopate if there was a way to use the water itself.

"The FDR is the original sin. It's not going to go away," Lopate said.

He acknowledged the difficulty of finding new space to expand this part of the esplanade, which he thought was hemmed in at points by the area's hospitals. He suggested floating pools or beaches.

Lopate was happy to hear that the greenway gap between East 38th and 60th streets may be closed, if a complicated deal goes through where the United Nations would build an office tower on Robert Moses Playground in exchange for opening the waterfront.

The advocacy group Transportation Alternatives and the arts group d3 held a design competition for that segment of the waterfront, announcing Thursday that submissions from pla.net Architects and the design team of James and Madeline Stokoe won for their ideas of how to fill in 22 blocks of the esplanade.

As the Bloomberg administration has been focusing on redeveloping the waterfront, residents on the Upper East Side and East Harlem hope their corner of the East River isn't forgotten.

Civitas is hoping to draw attention to their cause by soliciting bold ideas from designers, artists, landscape architects and others by Jan. 15, 2012. The ideas will then be used to launch a series of discussions about their waterfront's future.

"While I'm all for creating a green necklace around Manhattan, we have to maintain the parks we have," Upper East Side City Councilwoman Jessica Lappin said, in her remarks introducing Lopate.

"My goal and our shared goal, I think, is that this will inspire people to think big and let our imaginations run wild and bring some attention to this part of the esplanade that has been neglected," added Lappin, whose office is helping sponsor the contest that carries a $5,000 first prize.

Lappin secured $500,000 for an engineering study of this part of the esplanade to determine the extent of the damage and the cost of the repairs. While that study is "almost finished," she noted that complaints of sinkholes that resulted in gushing water warranted emergency repairs in the East 60s.

"Everything comes back to sinkholes," Lopate said. "The shipworms returned when the rivers were cleaned up. That goes under 'no good deed goes unpunished.' The infrastructure is being nibbled away."

http://www.dnainfo.com/20111027/upper-east-side/phillip-lopate-kicks-off-design-contest-for-new-east-river-waterfront#ixzz1c9FUVhOi

[GordonGecko]

hmm, a new 7 train stop - is that even feasable? You'd need elevators to access the platform and the construction would be tricky and disruptive to existing service. Not sure if it would be worth the cost

But the most unlikely part of this is back filling the land between Roosevelt island and Manhattan island. I don't see that ever happening, they would also have to demo the bridge from Queens to RI to accomodate all the boat traffic or keep the drawbridge up almost permanently

[Merry]

Funds Found to Boost Park In Manhattan

By JOSH BARBANEL

A plan to create a continuous waterfront park in Lower Manhattan between the Hudson and the East rivers is moving forward.

The Bloomberg administration and local elected officials have reached an agreement to provide $14 million to demolish a 600-foot-long pier shed on the East River that formerly held bananas and coffee, and to draft plans to turn the site into a park.

The huge space, known as Pier 42, was built in the 1960s to house newsprint shipped into the city. It is situated between the Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges, at the edge of a site where a larger, $140 million esplanade and pier project is planned along the East River.

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/NY-BH954_NYPARK_G_20111117184215.jpg

Officials have agreed to open up Pier 42 by using some of the last unspent funds from the $20.4 billion in federal aid provided to rebuild Lower Manhattan after the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001.

"This is the missing link in the dream of having a ribbon park around Lower Manhattan," said Sen. Charles Schumer, who has been pressing for the funding. He said the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. was due to take up the new funding plan at a meeting on Monday.

The LMDC has been moving to reallocate unspent federal recovery funds to projects that can move forward despite the difficult economic environment.

"We are committed to an East River esplanade that is every bit as wonderful as the Hudson River Park, and this is an important step," said David Emil, the LMDC's president.

The $14 million will provide enough funds to demolish the building, which has been used in recent years as a parking garage and a storage site for movie productions. But it will not cover the cost of turning the pier into a park, which could cost a total of $40 million officials said.

State Sen. Daniel Squadron, who represents the area, said the initial grant would provide funds to allow the Parks Department to conduct a "community-based master plan process" for the final design of the pier. He said the demolition would likely be completed next year.

"It is a foot in the door," Mr. Squadron said.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203699404577044640146287790.html?m od=googlenews_wsj

[Merry]

East River Waterfront Plan Bobs Along, Slowly Forward

by Dave Hogarty

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(click to enlarge)

The Municipal Arts Society refuses to let its plan for a usable East River waterfront drown in a sea of inertia and a changing marketplace. At stake is the future of public access to Manhattan's East Side waterfront—currently under par with that offered by the West Side's Inwood-to-Battery Park greenway.

The latest life preserver thrown to the now five-year-old MAS plan was the October deal to trade the Robert Moses Playground on 1st Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets for $150 million in development funds and access to develop the East River's waterfront. Now there is some momentum forming around a first step to transform the old Con Ed pier at 38th-41st Streets into a public park. City Council member Dan Garodnick is a booster of the plan, who told the Observer (http://www.observer.com/2011/12/hope-floats-muncipal-art-society-revives-plans-for-east-river-waterfront/), “The project is the first piece of what will eventually be a connected East River greenway, so it makes sense to focus on its design and purpose now.” That sentiment reinforced the latest announcement by The Municipal Art Society, which outlined a number of principles to which future waterfront planning should adhere.

Observer article (http://www.observer.com/2011/12/hope-floats-muncipal-art-society-revives-plans-for-east-river-waterfront/)
East Side Waterfront Park (http://mas.org/urbanplanning/east-side-waterfront-park/) [MAS]
New York's Next Great Waterfront Park (http://www.slideshare.net/MASNYC/new-yorks-next-great-waterfront-park-urban-design-10562516) [MAS]

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2011/12/13/east_river_waterfront_plan_bobs_along_slowly_forwa rd.php

[Sherpa]

Three-Story Glass-Walled Structure May Replace Pier 17 Mall
BY CARL GLASSMAN AND JESSICA TERRELL
POSTED DEC. 14


JESSICA TERRELL / TRIBECA TRIB
According to preliminary plans shown to members of Community Board 1, this building on Pier 17 would be replaced with a glass enclosed structure that would provide unobstructed views of the East River and Brooklyn Bridge.
A glass-walled, three-story structure with a roof garden and sweeping river views is the new vision for Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport.


That’s the preliminary plan for a building on the pier that would replace the current mall, as described by Community Board 1 members who got a preview of the scheme. Those who saw the plans Wednesday, in a private presentation by SHoP Architects and the pier’s leaseholder, Howard Hughes Corp., said in interviews with the Trib that they liked what they saw.


“Everybody was very impressed with the design,” said Bruce Ehrmann, a CB1 member and co-chair of the board’s Landmarks Committee. “The building is designed to have view corridors to the water instead of the big, bulky mall that’s there now.”


The group saw renderings of designs that have yet to be made public.


The CB1 members said the design calls for retail space on the mezzanine and third floor and an open ground-floor level with additional retail. "You can see through to the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge," said Paul Hovitz. "It gives you a sense of being able to enjoy the Seaport from the ground floor as opposed to a mall type entrance."


Hovitz said that Christopher Curry, the Howard Hughes Corp. executive in charge of development, assured the group that the new building will not be a mall. "Their position was they are going to be looking for unique shops, services and restaurants," he said. "All of this sounds great."

Representatives of the Howard Hughes Corp. did not return calls for comment.



JESSICA TERRELL / TRIBECA TRIB
The Beekman Beer Garden beach would be replaced by a public open space with trees and benches, according to preliminary plans presented by the Howard Hughes Corp.
Unlike a previous plan, scrapped by the pier's former leaseholder, General Growth Properties, there is no tower attached to the proposal, according to the board members. Though pleased by that, they said they expect Howard Hughes to eventually propose a tall building for Pier 17 when financing becomes available.


"You can’t just be doing one building without knowing what your master plan is for the rest of the pier,” said John Fratta, chair of CB1’s Seaport Committee. “I’m willing to bet there is going to be a high rise in the future.”


CB1 members said they were told the new building would be 25,000 square feet larger than the 205,000 square foot building that is there now. Because it is within the South Street Seaport Historic District, it needs the approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Ehrmann and his co-chair of CB1’s Landmarks Committee, Roger Byrom, said without a master plan it is premature to say whether they would favor approval of the design by the city’s Landmarks Commission. They also said the architects have yet to decide which of two glass “skins” or facades they will choose for the building. “It certainly has some of the right components,” Byrom said. “But it’s too early for us to make enough sense of it to comment.”


The ground floor of the structure would be open on the sides, but have glass doors that swing down like garage doors to enclose the space in bad weather, Hovitz said.


The upper levels would have glass walls, and one of the renderings showed cables providing support and giving a bridge effect to the design, according to Hovitz.


On the north side of the mall, formerly the location of the Water Taxi Beach and currently the Beekman Beer Garden, Howard Hughes proposes to remove the sand and install trees and benches to create an open public space.


“The way they showed this space it would be like a mini-park, which is really terrific,” Hovitz said.


CB1 members said Howard Hughes intends to present more detailed plans publicly to the Community Board 1 in February. That would begin an approval process that is expected to take about a year. The company needs approval from both the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission and the City Planning Commission.

Howard Hughes told the board that it hopes to complete the project in 2014.




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[Merry]

Slideshow> SHoP’s Pier 15 Opens to Public

by Tom Stoelker

http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_8927-500x333.jpg (http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/The SHoP designed Pier 15 opened to the public today. (Stoelker/AN))
The SHoP-designed Pier 15 opened to the public today. (Stoelker/AN)

Before all eyes and ears were focused on the mayor’s announcement about Cornell and their EDC project upriver (http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/29209), AN was downtown for a much quieter opening of yet another EDC project. Without fanfare, the SHoP-designed Pier 15 opened to the public today. With the exception of another photographer and a family visiting from Spain, we were the only ones at the pier when the security guard unhooked the chain.

http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_8944-500x333.jpg (http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/Three arched lawns grace the pier's second level.)
Three arched lawns grace the pier's second level.

Across from Maiden Lane, the new pier is an exercise in restraint with two reflective glass pavilions supporting the top half of a bi-level pier. Once common in the Victorian era, bi-level piers are rare today. The upper-level of this pier sports three small rolling lawns, slightly arched in profile, that overlook the East River.

http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_9286-500x333.jpg (http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/A long ramp leading to the upper level suggests a gang plank.)
A long ramp leading to the upper level suggests a gangplank.

The pier adds 50,000 square feet of public space to the East River Waterfront Esplanade. The project, a joint effort with City Planning, stretches from the Battery Park Maritime Building (the Governors Island ferry) to Pier 35, just north of the Brooklyn Bridge.

http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_9143-500x333.jpg (http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/The lower level pavillion reflects a fire boat spouting water.)
The lower level pavilion reflects a fire boat spouting water.

Of the two lower level pavilions, one will become a restaurant, to be run by the same company that operates as a smaller restaurant nearby in a pavilion on the East River Esplanade. The second lower level pavilion will accommodate services for a nearby marina. The RFP for the restaurant and marina have yet to be announced.

With the work complete, South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 appears all the more needy. As AN‘s Eavesdrop column reported back in July, the city is still in the midst of negotiations with the Howard Hughes Corporation to revamp the dated pier/mall. SHoP’s Gregg Pasquarelli recently told New York magazine that the firm relishes tackling the next stop north.

http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_9087-500x333.jpg
Crossed red wooden slats beneath of the upper deck suggest the curve of a ship's hull.

more pics at ArchPaper (http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/29277)

[lofter1]

The pier looks great. Gotta get over there. Sorry to see that you can't have a drink up there, as it is screaming for a beer while looking out over the water.

Meanwhile this will have to suffice:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwpBZOZwumo

[Merry]

Mind the Gap

Park joins New York's long-divided Upper East Side and East Harlem riverfronts.

by Tom Stoelker

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/image/nyc_waterfront_comp_03.jpg
A view south on the East River Esplanade. Tom Stoelker / AN

After the city sealed the deal to sell Robert Moses Playground to the United Nations to finance the waterfront park between 38th Street and 60th Street, the East River Greenway moved a step closer to completion. But once the Greenway links upriver at 60th Street, a host of issues await. There, stretching from 60th to 125th, the 60-year-old East River Esplanade languishes.
The esplanade runs approximately two miles between the Upper East Side and East Harlem gradually shifting from lush and refined at Gracie Mansion to rough and tumble at the 96th Street divide, long a psychological demarcation between the haves and have-nots.

In late October, citizen action group CIVITAS announced its Reimagining the Waterfront ideas competition charging architects, planners, and landscape designers to develop concepts for the entire esplanade, or in sections. According to executive director Hunter Armstrong, key challenges are a dangerous crosswalk at the 96th Street entrance and two vacant lots beneath the FDR. As with SHoP’s redesign of the East River Esplanade in Lower Manhattan, Armstrong envisions a park that embraces the highway, both beside and beneath.

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/nyc_waterfront_comp_01.jpg (http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/nyc_waterfront_comp_01.jpg)

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/nyc_waterfront_comp_02.jpg (http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/nyc_waterfront_comp_02.jpg)
A detail of the area to be redesigned with access points noted (top) and a proposed 111th Street bridge crossing the FDR (bottom).
Courtesy CIVITAS and Guy Nordenson

At a kickoff event, CIVITAS invited Columbia professor Phillip Lopate, author of the 2004 book Waterfront, to lure Upper Eastsiders into a conversation at the ornate Park Avenue Armory about a future for the waterfront and 96th Street. “It’s kind of choppy over there,” he told AN. “It’s beginning to be gentrified, but not at the far east end—not that gentrification is the solution.”

Besides by means of 96th Street, East Harlem has access to the esplanade via three caged-in pedestrian bridges. Lopate suggested that something less stark, like a platform over the highway, similar to East Side’s Carl Schurz Park, “something that’s not punitive,” he said.

On a tour of the esplanade’s north half with Armstrong, views were stunning, but the promenade itself was bleak. Teens smoked pot near the Wards Island Bridge, now shuttered for repairs until early 2012. A series of sinkholes crumbled into the river, and rusted railings sat on decaying concrete. The charming 107th Street Pier with its cast iron railings sat empty except for one senior. On exiting the esplanade at the 120th Street overpass, a fistfight threatened the tour as Armstrong quickly redirected attention to the subject to the new CUNY buildings by SLCE, snazzy condos, a convent, and the original Patsy’s pizza parlor.

The lower section of the promenade below 96th Street may not face the same social challenges, but the promenade infrastructure is just as bad. John Natoli, chief engineer at Parks, said that every few hundred feet the support systems change from traditional pile supports, to log-cabin cribbed wood pilings, and concrete blocks sitting atop landfill.



http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/nyc_waterfront_comp_04.jpg (http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/nyc_waterfront_comp_04.jpg)

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/nyc_waterfront_comp_05.jpg (http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/nyc_waterfront_comp_05.jpg)

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/nyc_waterfront_comp_06.jpg (http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/nyc_waterfront_comp_06.jpg)


the 107th Street pier (left), one of many sink holes along the northern section (Center), and remnants of industry along the esplanade (right).
Tom Stoelker / AN






For years, the esplanade’s jurisdiction remained convoluted, with Parks, the DOT, and DEP randomly dashing in to make repairs. Upper East Side Council Member Jessica Lappin credited Parks for “graciously accepting responsibility.” Natoli described the problem: “In some cases, we’re doing fixes that wouldn’t be right, but we have only limited funds. We know it needs tens of millions but we only have thousands.” Based on $68 million worth of comparable work at the East River Park below 14th Street, Natoli guesstimated that an uptown revamp could exceed $100 million. CIVITAS hopes the competition will help jumpstart some financing once the ideas start to flow, and the community gets excited.

Council Member Lappin’s office has already allocated $1.4 million toward renovation and repair, of which $500,000 went toward studying the infrastructure. There are bright spots. “Con Edison owns a building in the 70s and they may be willing to give that land over to the city,” said Lappin. To the north, the CIVITAS competition has the support of Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, who also happens to chair City Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is also on board. The deadline for the competition is January 15, 2012.

http://www.archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=5814

[Sherpa]

Today.

[Sherpa]

.

[Sherpa]

.

[lofter1]

Sherpa: I was at Pier 15 today around 2:30; seems we were there about the same time: I saw the guy in the yellow vest in your first photo; he was there taking photos for Turner Construction with a much better camera than mine (he showed me some great shots taken at dusk there a couple of days ago).

This new Pier 15 is fantastic. The red of the slatted ceiling matches the red hull on the big ship next door and the way that ceiling is constructed, with waves and oscillations, it appears to be an inverted mirror image of the ship's hull. Of course the views are fantastic. When the new restaurant just to the south opens (it looks like it's almost done: They're laying the floors now) then this whole stretch of river front will be a fantastic destination. Enjoy it now before everybody else discovers it!

[NYatKNIGHT]

The new pier is fantastic. Nice that so much of it accessible - no playground, ball court, excessive plantings - with lots of seating, spectacular views, tall ships right there, and it's even better at night, especially the red slats lit from behind. Great addition to the Seaport area.

[Merry]

Reinventing the East Side Waterfront

By LISA W. FODERARO

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/01/01/nyregion/01east-map/01east-map-popup-v4.png

ONE by one, the announcements have come. Of a deal to convert Pier 42, located between the Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges, from a storage facility into open space. Of design guidelines for Waterside Pier, a former Consolidated Edison site along the East River in Midtown, released in December by the Municipal Art Society. Of the opening of Pier 15, a block below South Street Seaport, which offers double-decker views of the East River.

These are but a sampling of the steady drumbeat of news items — real estate deals, park restorations, reclaimed piers and new esplanades — that herald the remaking of Manhattan’s East Side waterfront. When all the pieces fall into place, planners and city officials say, there will be a nearly continuous ribbon of parkland and recreational space along the East Side. New Yorkers will no longer have to go west to enjoy the waterfront.

“There isn’t any doubt that the East Side has lagged behind the extraordinary development of Hudson River Park,” said Vin Cipolla, president of the Municipal Art Society, a nonprofit organization devoted to planning and preservation. “But the vision for the East River Greenway is coming into more tangible view. It’s time.”

Though the East River may lack the grandeur of the Hudson, there is much to savor: tugs cruise the choppy waters, a sandy beach fans out beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, the lights of the historic Pepsi-Cola sign streak the river red at night, the scent of salt hangs on the breeze.

For decades, however, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, as well as the river’s industrial legacy and the sprawling United Nations campus, has kept those pleasures mostly at a remove.
Now, said Seth W. Pinsky, the president of the city’s Economic Development Corporation, “a golden age for the East River” is at hand, and even skeptical community leaders are feeling celebratory.

“It’s sort of like, ‘Wow, things are actually happening,’ ” said Mark P. Thompson, chairman of Community Board 6, which represents the area from 59th Street to 14th Street, east of Lexington Avenue. “Piece by piece, our waterfront is finally being recognized and turned into something people can use.”

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s 20-year plan for the waterfront, unveiled in March, made the East River a priority, and new East River ferry service to Brooklyn and Queens has proved to be wildly popular, attracting twice as many riders as were projected. But the most significant milestone came in October, when city and state officials agreed to a land deal involving the United Nations that could pay for a new 22-block East River esplanade.

The deal lays out a complex set of transactions that would allow the United Nations to build a tower on part of a playground in east Midtown in exchange for $73 million and a replacement park.

It would also unlock other financing for the esplanade, which would stretch from East 38th to East 60th Street, filling in what is now the biggest gap in the 32-mile Greenway around Manhattan.
The United Nations has yet to agree to the terms, but it has long been thought to want the deal, and is in negotiations with the city.

“The table has been set, and now the U.N. will have to come onboard,” said Adrian Benepe, the commissioner of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. “I learned long ago in government never to promise anything unless you know the park is opening the next day, but things are moving in the right direction.”

A stroll along the East River from Wall Street to Midtown reveals spots where access to the river remains obstructed by sanitation and utility structures, as well as parking and private development.

Some city officials and community leaders acknowledge that the East Side is unlikely to match the West Side in terms of amenities. There are not as many piers left along the East River to serve as sites for skate parks, playgrounds and restaurants. Nor is there as much land between the highway and the water, crimping the potential for parkland. Another issue is the proximity of the F.D.R. Drive, which can be deafening.

Still, impediments are being removed with speed. State Senator Daniel L. Squadron and Senator Charles E. Schumer, both Democrats, announced in mid-November that they had obtained $14 million from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to convert Pier 42, which now supports an empty warehouse, into open space. The money should cover the costs of shoring up the pier and demolishing the 600-foot-long shed on the site. Turning the four-acre pier into a park would cost tens of millions of dollars more, but Mr. Squadron called the initial investment “a foot in the door.”

The pier will expand the southern end of East River Park, which runs from East 12th Street to Montgomery Street. At more than 45 acres, the park is the largest parcel of parkland on the river.

The parks department is finishing a $98 million restoration of the park, where an esplanade almost collapsed a decade ago after marine borers chewed through its wooden pilings.

“East River Park has always suffered from having a narrow and undistinguished entrance,” Mr. Benepe said. “Pier 42 would be a huge boon. It’s something we’ve coveted for a long time, but we never had the money to do it.”

Farther south, in addition to opening Pier 15, the Economic Development Corporation has started preliminary work on Pier 35, just north of Rutgers Slip, and plans to open that to the public in 2013. Between those two piers is an esplanade that the city eventually plans to upgrade with new lighting and sleek wooden furniture, including bar stools and chaise longues. And construction is under way on a half-mile portion of the East River Waterfront Esplanade, from the tip of Lower Manhattan to Wall Street.

On a warm November afternoon, office workers, residents and tourists flocked to the first two-block section of the esplanade, which opened in July, between Wall Street and Maiden Lane.
“I had to get out of the office,” said Robert DiBarba, an information technology executive with a nearby bank, who was enjoying a red velvet cupcake amid the cry of gulls and the thrum of ferry engines. “It’s a good view.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/nyregion/a-greenway-along-the-waterfront-will-beckon-from-the-east.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

[Ninjahedge]

Skipping most of the article here at work, but siting the map.... What would be the best way to put an "official" bridge across the north end to join the Hudson and East River waterfront runs? Being able to do "laps" around Manhattan might be a blast for people with enough stamina to go for more than 3 miles on a bike.....

[GordonGecko]

I used to bike a pretty grueling circuit, starting at battery park to take the Ferry to Staten Island. From there you bike on the north shore of SI then cross the Bayonne Bridge, through Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, etc.. all the way up to the GWB back into Washington Heights, then all the way down the West side back to Battery Park. Was a fun ride except for the street biking in Jersey which sucks. I would love to break out the bike and completely circle Manhattan without going off a path. I've done around Manhattan by bike, but the East side has always been a problem, and there's no way to avoid the streets to go from east to west or vice versa when uptown

[Sherpa]

I walked around Manhattan last May. The Great Manhattan Saunter. Seaport-to-Seaport. Clockwise. 32 miles and some monster blisters!

[Ninjahedge]

GG, if NJ gets off its bureaucratic arse there will be a great CONTINUOUS bike path all the way up to the GWB...


Right now it is all in bits and pieces. Hoboken still can't force the Dry Dock to allow a path or any kind of "right of way" for it, which blocks that on one end, and on the other it is blocked by the train station......

And then we have hotels, condos and other "me first" developments that do not lend easily to common park space......

:(

It is a shame. I, for one, would rather blade in NJ and look at NY than the other way around.