PlanNYC: East River Waterfront News

Public Art Project, Waterfalls, Set to Open Tomorrow

2008-06-25 00:00:00

Public Art Project, Waterfalls, will begin or be turned on starting tomorrow at 9am. There will be four waterfalls in total along the East River waterfront on both the Brooklyn and Manhattan sides as well as near Governors Island. This art installation will last until October 13.

Artist Eliasson Checks in on Waterfalls Project

2008-06-02 00:00:00

Olafur Eliasson, the artist behind the East River�s �New York City Waterfalls,� has been traveling to New York about once every two weeks to check in on the construction of the waterfalls. On a recent visit, he spoke with the New York Times about the massive public arts project. Eliasson said that the waterfalls are meant to reconnect New Yorkers with the waterfront, a resource that he says many people take for granted. He said that the falls are also designed to be viewed as both �a natural phenomenon and a cultural one.� For this reason he has designed the scaffolding to remain visible, as a reminder of the man-made nature of the project. City officials hope that the waterfalls will bring visitors to the City and generate the kind of economic activity that the Gates installation in Central Park did in 2005.

Construction Moving Along for Waterfalls Project

2008-05-07 00:00:00

The man-made NYC Waterfalls project is under construction along the East River. The four 90 to 120 foot waterfalls located in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Governors Island are expected to be running sometime in late June. The City expects the exhibit to increase tourism revenues by $55 million.

Debate Over Control for Pier 15

2008-03-28 00:00:00

Pier 15, part of the East River Waterfront development, is in desperate need for renovation and the local community would like the Pier to be more accommodating to maritime. The City�s Economic Development Corporation plans to issue a Request for Proposals for the Pier, which has caused a stir with the South Street Seaport Museum who believe they have rights to part of the Pier. The Museum is hoping to expand some of its exhibits onto the Pier. According to the Museum, the City has told them they can use the northern end of the Pier for museum purposes. Some believe that decisions on Pier 15 should not be made until plans are finalized for Pier 17, in order to create a unified waterfront.

New Design Ideas for Pier 13 on East River

2008-03-07 00:00:00

A landscape architect and a sculpture have teamed up to create plans for Pier 13 located on the East River in Lower Manhattan. The city has undertaken efforts to redevelop the East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan, although plans for Piers 13 and 14 were not included. The pair recently received approval from Community Board 1 and now faces a tough road for funding and approval from many city agencies. The pair plans to rebuild Pier 13, which was destroyed last year, and create an access point to the water. The plan for the pier includes a wet dock and will allow visitors to come knee deep in water during high tide.

Plans for New York City Waterfalls Public Art Project Unveiled

2008-01-16 00:00:00

Mayor Bloomberg revealed plans for the New York City Waterfalls art project on Tuesday. The $15 million project is expected to bring in $55 million in tourism and will be on display from July to October. The project, designed by Olafur Eliasson, will contain four electric waterfalls that will run on renewable resources and will be located at Brooklyn�s Piers 4 and 5, Manhattan�s Pier 35, and Governor�s Island.

Art Installation for East River a Possibility

2008-01-14 00:00:00

The city is expected to announce plans to team with artist Olafur Eliasson and the Public Art Fund on an art project that will temporarily install waterfalls into the East River, rising 60-70 feet above the water in some places and will be able to be seen from the Seaport, the Governors Island Ferry and Brooklyn Heights. The project is expected to cost roughly $9 million to $11 million to produce. When 7,500 yellow gates were installed in Central Park in 2005, an estimated $254 million in economic activity was generated for the city from out-of-town residents and others flocking to New York to see the artwork. An official announcement is expected to be made today by Mayor Bloomberg and the Public Art Fund.

New Designs For Pier 15

2007-10-24 00:00:00

Community Board 1 reviewed preliminary design plans for the East River waterfront. ShoP architects presented designed concepts for Pier 15 that include illuminated girders and a two-story structure containing a lower level museum and open space on the upper floor. Community members had mixed reactions to the new plans, mainly expressing a desire for more docking space for boats.

New Waterfront Parks May Be Too Expensive

2007-06-14 00:00:00

A report by the Regional Plan Association is expected to publish a study today claiming that New York City has planned for more park expansions and improvements than it can actually afford to carry out. For example, the report claims that operating the planned 55-acres-worth of waterfront parkland will cost the City $100 million alone, a third of the Park�s Department�s $355 million annual budget. The City has not yet published its estimate for the new waterfront parks, however.

Peck Plaza to be Renovated

2007-04-17 00:00:00

The city plans to renovate Peck Slip plaza, a municipal parking lot on the former site of the Fulton Street Fish Market and create a new park. The $3 million project is being funded by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. The project was redesigned after Community Board 1 rejected the original plan to pave the plaza with cobblestones arguing that it lacked green space. The new plan includes a smaller cobblestone plaza, a tree grove and a fountain. The Landmarks Commission will vote on the redesign on April 24. Opponents charge that the green space "belies the historic authenticity" of the former fish market.

Basketball Proposal May be Blocked

2007-03-23 00:00:00

Manhattan's Community Board 3 reviewed a proposal to build a basketball facility on a portion of Pier 36 by Basketball City, a for-profit company that designs indoor and outdoor basketball facilities. The company previously owned space at Pier 63 in Chelsea but was forced to leave after disagreement with the Hudson River Park Trust. The Board objected to the potential "congestion and commercialization" that the courts would bring as well as the company's for-profit status. Many on the board felt that waterfront space should remain accessible to the public and private fees for basketball play were inappropriate. The ULURP process for the proposal begins on March 26 and on April 16 the city's Art Commission will review the developer's final designs.

City�s Plan for East River Waterfront Stimulates Reaction

2007-01-26 00:00:00

Members of Manhattan�s Community Board 1's Waterfront Committee reacted with skepticism to a proposal from the NYC Economic Development Corporation that requests permission for the city to lease approximately 6,000 square feet of space on Pier 15 to commercial tenants and food vendors. The request will have to go through ULURP in order to determine if the 21,500 square foot envelope can be developed. In addition, the EDC said the city may ask for other space along the park to be leased commercially so that the revenue may be used to maintain the park. Critics are concerned that economic interests will take priority over the interests of residents and they are requesting the space be used for public uses such as playing fields.

Portion of FDR Drive Might Become a Park

2006-12-26 00:00:00

Bloomberg Administration officials are discussing possible plans to convert a detour section of Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive into a park. The Outboard Detour Roadway, an abandoned 2,500-foot roadway built in 2004 between 54th and 63rd Streets, is scheduled to be demolished. The plan calls for extending currently inaccessible waterfront open space to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians. Some have doubts about creating such a park, including the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers who fear that an extension of the road would interfere with shipping traffic. The State Department of Environmental Conservation also has reservations about possible harm to fishing habitats.

NYC Waterfront: Progress or Inactivity?

2006-09-27 00:00:00

The Gotham Gazette has provided a useful accounting of the status of multiple waterfront projects in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Included are updates on the Belt Parkway pedestrian pathway, the proposed Red Hook Ikea, Hudson River Park, East River Park and others. The Gazette argues that progress on many of these projects has been �spotty.�

Piazza Not Park

2006-06-16 00:00:00

Residents and members of CB 1 hope to see Peck Slip become a stony piazza that will reflect the seafaring days of the neighborhood�s watery past and not a grassy park. The design, planning, and financing process is underway.