Our waterfront must now serve the people who live here every day.

A growing residential downtown needs a real recreation center. Battery to Bridges supports exploring a Seaport Piers Recreation Center that could provide year-round public recreation, youth and senior programming, waterfront education, and community space near the East River.

A rare natural shoreline exists beneath one of New York’s most iconic bridges - the Brooklyn Bridge. We believe this underused shoreline should be opened as public space to residents, schools, and visitors, and not as an unsafe swimming promise.

Pier 36 is currently occupied by a variety of uses that are not water dependent. The New York Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY) garages, truck storage, and operations take up roughly ⅔ of the pier, and other operations such as the FDNY EMS and an asphalt plant also take up valuable waterfront space.

The transition at Pier 15 creates a rare opening to restore the pier’s original maritime, educational and public-access mission.

Battery to Bridges advocates for near-term public improvements while long-term planning continues. Temporary or interim uses might include pop-up recreation, seating, shade, public art, fitness programming, kayak demonstrations, waterfront education, weekend events, safe walking routes, and community meetings at the water’s edge.

In New York City planning terminology, waterfront-dependent uses require direct access to the water to function, while waterfront-enhancing uses are recreational, cultural, entertainment, or retail activities that increase public use and enjoyment of the water’s edge.

Every time we rebuild a pier, bulkhead, esplanade or resilient shoreline, can that investment also make the river healthier?

Battery to Bridges’ own values call for reinvestment of revenues generated within the East River waterfront (estimated to be $4.5M) to a Special Fund at the NYC Parks Department. With this steady funding, we can look to assist Parks in maintenance, programming, and public improvements.

To respond to the impacts of flood and climate change, the City is proposing a plan for a resilient waterfront that will protect the community for years to come.