Greenways and Waterfront Development

[antinimby]

Closest thing to a beach in Manhattan.

[ramvid01]

^^ So true.

Ablarc I think the argument that there is not enough demand would be hard to prove, being that this is waterfront located in some of the densest areas of the country. And parkland in Manhattan is at a premium.

I guess that walkway i mentioned was probably from the previously mentioned ferry terminal. Thanks for that article btw.

[ablarc]

Originally Posted by Derek2k3

There was a working marina, cafe, dance floor, and a marine science center. They were in the process of overhauling that but the developer ran out of funding.

When? Recently?

[Derek2k3]

Yes, about a year or 2 ago.

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/07/ny...er-marina.html

[Merry]

Pier work begins on East River waterfront

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.



Yesterday

[infoshare]

Photos taken this Friday evening: at about west 25th street on the Hudson River Waterfront. This was about two blocks away from the recent Wiredny meetup event.

BTW - What that chair doing way up there! (third photo)

[Merry]

Fighting Waterfront Gentrification With Colorful Renderings!

October 19, 2009, by Joey




(click thumbnails to enlarge)

With the ongoing expansion and overall awesomeness of Hudson River Park, the East River waterfront has become more and more of an unsightly embarrassment. Total. Amateur. Hour. But all that is set to change, of course, with the long-promised and now actually happening(!) remake of over two miles of pavement and piers crawling up the Manhattan coast from Battery Park to the Lower East Side. Celebrate good times, c'mon! But not everyone is pumped for the city's plan. Nay, over the weekend a group of nine community organizations calling themselves the OUR Waterfront Coalition held a press conference to unveil their "People's Plan for the East River Waterfront," the results of a long "visioning process" that included town hall meetings and surveys of hundreds of Chinatown/LES residents. What's their beef?

The coalition argues that the city's Economic Development Corporation has "not sufficiently included community input in their plan," and that the northernmost section of the East River Waterfront reboot—the strip of piers and sheds just north of the Manhattan Bridge—"has the potential to exacerbate gentrification of the Lower East Side and Chinatown."

That's a no-no in their book, and so the "People's Plan" includes recommendations from the group on how the "development can better meet the needs of current residents," basically by adding more low-cost recreational space and social services on the waterfront.

What really has the locals riled up is the impending construction of the new Basketball City on Pier 36, a for-profit athletic facility that is leasing the property from the city. The OUR Waterfront Coalition opposes Basketball City, but realizing that they're not likely to stop it, they designed two versions of the "People's Plan"—one with Dunksville (that's what we would've named Basketball City, fwiw) and one without. Check out the people's will in the photo gallery above.

FiDi/Chinatown/LES Waterfront Ready For Its Makeover [Curbed]


http://curbed.com/archives/2009/10/1...renderings.php


Valazquez, Community Groups Press City to Revise Waterfront Plan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY1QC...layer_embedded

Community groups fighting to influence the city's plans for the East River waterfront have a new ally: Representative Nydia Valazquez. This weekend, she vowed to take their concerns to city officials, "fighting every step of the way," and to seek additional federal funding for the project. Valazquez made her remarks at a press conference to release the results of a comprehensive survey and a detailed alternative plan to the city's blueprint.
The groups, led by the Urban Justice Center, focused on the NYC Economic Development Corporation's proposals to rehabilitate Piers 35, 36 and 42.

The coalition, "Organizing and United Residents" say the plans are "not responsive to the needs of the surrounding community and did not include any mechanisms for community input or participation." Noting that the median income in Community Board 3 (which includes the Lower East Side and Chinatown) is scarcely over $32-thousand, the report said, these "two neighborhoods... have gentrified rapidly in the last decade, and the EDC’s plan (has) the potential to increase the pace of gentrification."

The City's rendering of the Pier 35 restoration

In August, we reported on the city's plans to renovate Pier 35 at Rutgers Slip "to provide much-needed landscaped space along the waterfront" and to construct "an innovative habitat restoration park, which will recreate the native plants and wildlife of the East River." We have also been following the community's struggle for access to Pier 36, which will soon be the home of a private facility, Basketball City. In their report, the groups continue to put pressure on Basketball City for discounted fees and other concessions.

They are also want the section of the pier not being used by Basketball City to be transformed into a community center and, perhaps, a farmer's market.

But the coalition appears to be devoting most of its energies to Pier 42. The city has said it will one day be converted into an "urban beach and boat launch." But in meetings with the groups, the EDC has insisted there's no money for that part of the project now. The "People's Plan" unveiled Saturday proposes turning the pier into a park, with open space, basketball courts and playgrounds.

The Pratt Center for Community Development analyzed the city's plans, relying in part on city documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The Hester Street Collaborative then produced architectural renderings, and a detailed budget was drawn up. According to the report, their plan (for all three piers) would cost $52 million, compared to $138 million already budgeted by the city.

Valazquez, noted that most of the money being used for the project came from the federal government. This, she said, puts her in a strong position to fight for changes. Saying "our community deserves better," she told the coalition members it's unfair that the city has spent lavishly on the West Side waterfront, while neglecting the East Side:

There has already been one meeting with the Economic Development Corporation. The coalition, now joined by Rep. Valazquez, hopes for a second meeting soon with the EDC, as well as the Transportation and Parks departments.

The report released Saturday included the results from 800 surveys, community visioning sessions and a town hall meeting. It indicates the respondents were both demographically and economically diverse, but it does not include a breakdown. Residents surveyed expressed an overwhelming desire for open space, recreational facilities, affordable food vendors and a cultural center reflecting the diversity of the community.

They were opposed to high end residential development and upscale stores. One resident speaking at the press conference, said the lack of community centers and social services is one reason for the recent upsurge in youth violence.

On the city's web site, the Department of City Planning makes a point of highlighting community involvement in the planning process. "Over 70 meetings were held with community boards, tenant associations, civic leaders, maritime experts and local elected officials," it states. But "for the most part," the coalition contends, "the EDC’s planning has taken place without wide-spread community support or approval."

The coalition is made up of the Urban Justice Center, the Hester Street Collaborative, The Two Bridges Neighborhood Council, Organizing Asian Communities, Good Old Lower East Side. Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, University Settlement and the Lower East Side Ecology Center.

You can read the full report on the Urban Justice Center's web site.

http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/20...ront-plan.html

[Merry]

East River Park Opens Another Section of Esplanade

(click images for larger versions)

A new stretch of the ongoing East River Park Promenade project opened yesterday. The new esplanade continues south behind the running track for another 2200 feet down behind the ball fields. We were told by the Parks Department that another 400 feet or so, stretching to the tennis courts, should be open by next week. They have just been waiting for the rain to stop so they can lay some sod.

http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/20...esplanade.html

[Ninjahedge]

Amazing how people want everything to be clean and nice, just not "too" nice (gentrified). They want things to be rennovated, but they do not want to PAY for it (Free everything!)

I wonder how they proposed to pay for all these improvements....

I can understand the fear of displacement, but complaining that replacing the waterfront storehouses with something nice is a threat? C'mahn!

[Merry]

East River Ruckus

Community groups present own plans for southeast waterfront


SHoP's official plans for Pier 35, which is basically a pastoral, passive pier.

A coalition of community groups released a proposal on October 17 that calls on the city to rework part of its plan for Manhattan’s southeastern waterfront, a portion of which is being designed by SHoP Architects for the city's Economic Development Corporation


A community proposal calls for a public park from pier 35 to pier 42, including sports facilities (B), a river pool (c), and community centers (D).

The group, calling itself OUR (Organizing and Uniting Residents) Waterfront, unites nine other member groups whose concerns range from the Two Bridges housing complex to the entire city. The organization claims to have collected 800 surveys continued on page between July and November 2008 and hosted three visioning sessions with 150 participants. The Hester Street Collaborative guided the group through design workshops, and the Pratt Center for Community and Economic Development analyzed the economics of the proposal that these workshops produced.

At a sparsely attended rally, OUR Waterfront leaders explained that a majority of neighbors in public sessions had called for free open space and venues for sports, and that many were worried about the East River waterfront offering instead more bars and restaurants.

The proposal argues that the city’s plan to develop piers 35, 36, and 42 on the stretch of East River waterfront north of the Manhattan Bridge shortchanges a neighborhood where nearly 85 percent of residents live in rent-regulated buildings. In fact, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) has targeted the corner of South Street and the FDR Drive for a 55,000-square-foot home to Basketball City, the private concern for up-market leagues and special events.

The coalition proposes three alternatives, including a $55 million scheme with public courts, a floating pool, open space, and a community center. Anne Frederick of the Hester Street Collaborative said the most realistic course entails some private use by Basketball City or another vendor.


A rendering of the community's proposal.

At the presentation, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez huddled with organizers before the event to promise “some money” toward the project cost and spoke forcefully about its rationale. “On the West Side, nobody would tell the community: You can have a nice park but it has to be self-sustaining,” the congresswoman said. She proposed a meeting among “public officials, the community, and the EDC” to tweak the plans.

The coalition’s preferred plan would demolish all buildings and establish a range of recreation options, including a filtered “river pool” and ramps for putting in kayaks. A recreation center would host leagues, children’s supervised play, and games popular with older Chinatown residents.

As the presentation showed, the city’s promise of $138 million in funds from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation has wavered since it released a plan in 2005: Pier 42 has no budget, the Pier 36 home for a gym needs structural repair, and Pier 35 has funds to create a “green wall” obscuring the maintenance shed that Basketball City would replace.

Basketball City’s representatives did not speak at the meeting, but the organization knows local politics, having discovered the East River spot after losing a perch on the Hudson River in the development of Chelsea Piers. It won the new site as part of the settlement of an unrelated lawsuit after answering a city request for proposals in 1996. Negotiations with the city will continue this month.

A version of this article appeared in AN 18_11.04.2009.

Alec Appelbaum

http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=4012

[MidtownGuy]

I'm an East sider with park envy...the West side has gotten so much green space along the river while the East side has a crap waterfront. I wish this would get moving.

[Stroika]

Originally Posted by Merry

1) A coalition of community groups released a proposal on October 17 that calls on the city to rework part of its plan for Manhattan’s southeastern waterfront, a portion of which is being designed by SHoP Architects for the city's Economic Development Corporation

2) At a sparsely attended rally, OUR Waterfront leaders explained that a majority of neighbors in public sessions had called for free open space and venues for sports, and that many were worried about the East River waterfront offering instead more bars and restaurants.

3) The proposal argues that the city’s plan to develop piers 35, 36, and 42 on the stretch of East River waterfront north of the Manhattan Bridge shortchanges a neighborhood where nearly 85 percent of residents live in rent-regulated buildings.

At the presentation, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez huddled with organizers before the event to promise “some money” toward the project cost and spoke forcefully about its rationale. “On the West Side, nobody would tell the community: You can have a nice park but it has to be self-sustaining,” the congresswoman said. She proposed a meeting among “public officials, the community, and the EDC” to tweak the plans.

Ugh.

1) SHoP's plan is great, if you ask me. Start letting every schmo tinker with it, and it becomes an incoherent mess.

2) There's hardly any place to have a drink on the water in NYC. For millions of NYers and tourists, that's a big negative. Most world-class cities with any waterfront open it up for dining/drinking and other ways for people to enjoy the water. NY NIMBYs rightly lament the post-industrial uselessness of much of our waterfront but have a bizarre desire to turn it all into lawns. That's great, if you want to sit down for 20 mins before moving on on an August day. But it provides nothing to actually do, and 7 months of the year, it's too cold to enjoy.

3) This is the real problem. Too often, "community" groups in NY demand that developments such as this be made more "public." That's a flat-out lie. The "community" groups here really just want to rope off what could/should be public space for their own use. If you actually built a nice promenade with some restaurants, cafes, bars, bike-rental shops, etc., people from crappy areas of the city (like Harlem, where I am) but who pay the same taxes as everyone else, could actually come and enjoy that waterfront.

You fill it with playing fields -- as most of the various constructions on the waterfront (i.e., the areas that aren't just strips of grass/lawns) contain -- and it's pretty much useless for anyone but the immediate neighbors. If I went down to one of these parks with a soccer ball on a Saturday, what's the chance I'd be able to play? Nil. The locals' kids would be using it. And even if you are a local, it's only the residents with kids of a certain age, or who are kids of a certain age, that can really make any use of the endless soccer and baseball fields along the waterfront. I love the beauty of Hudson River Park, but other than the funky steamboat pier, what on earth is there to do? You walk up and down for an hour, look at the river a few times, and then you head for your destination, since there's nothing to do there. (I realize that Piers 57 and 40 have the potential to change that, no thanks to "community" groups.)

So what do we have? Well, we have areas near the water where 85% of the people are getting our tax dollars to subsidize their "right" to live near the waterfront (where's my right to live near the water?!), and they want that waterfront to be roped off so that only their kids can use it.

Moreover, since, as Rep Nydia demands, those parks would not be self-sustaining, it means our tax dollars will be committed indefinitely to bail out a horribly expensive park that anyone else who doesn't live there has no use for. So we continue to throw our income at a park used only by those whose rents we're already paying.

For those of us taxpayers who are too employed to get subsidized housing but far, far too poor to live anywhere but Harlem or Crown Heights, the uses of the waterfront that would make it available to us are somehow considered "private" or "anti-community." I love New York, but it's a small wonder people continue to flee the city for Jersey, Connecticut, etc. when you're told that a huge chunk of your income has to provide luxuries for people who want ever more of it and aren't so willing to share the fruits of your own dollars with you.

[BrooklynRider]

^Good points and many of my own sentiments.

[infoshare]

Originally Posted by Stroika

Ugh.

2) There's hardly any place to have a drink on the water in NYC. For millions of NYers and tourists, that's a big negative. Most world-class cities with any waterfront open it up for dining/drinking and other ways for people to enjoy the water. NY NIMBYs rightly lament the post-industrial uselessness of much of our waterfront but have a bizarre desire to turn it all into lawns. That's great, if you want to sit down for 20 mins before moving on on an August day. But it provides nothing to actually do, and 7 months of the year, it's too cold to enjoy.

3) This is the real problem. Too often, "community" groups in NY demand that developments such as this be made more "public." That's a flat-out lie. The "community" groups here really just want to rope off what could/should be public space for their own use. If you actually built a nice promenade with some restaurants, cafes, bars, bike-rental shops, etc., people from crappy areas of the city (like Harlem, where I am) but who pay the same taxes as everyone else, could actually come and enjoy that waterfront.

Not completely accurate: but I think you've got the gist of it. There are just too many competing agendas and personal interests in play for anyone to make a completely "spot-on" assessment of situation: but, this is one of the best I have read here at WNY.

A good read, thanks for posting.