Master Plan for Interim Improvements to the East River Waterfront in Manhattan
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Planning updates
To effectively execute interim improvements on the East River Waterfront, Battery to Bridges has created a timeline to help prioritize projects in order of priority and feasability.
Short-Term Priorities
These are immediate actions that can improve public access, safety, programming, and waterfront use within approximately one year.
Fund BtoBC interim programming under the FDR Viaduct
Provide operating and program funding for BtoBC to activate underused areas beneath the FDR and on Pier 25 and Pier 35 with recreation, cultural events, environmental education, and community programming.
Create and maintain ecological zones and habitat restoration both inland and in-water to enhance health of nearby residents, fauna and the aquatic environment.
Designate BtoBC to oversee public programming at Pier 15
Authorize BtoBC to coordinate consistent, community-oriented programming that makes full public use of Pier 15 and its upper deck.
Office space to BtoBC at the Pier 15 Pavilion in partnership with Dock NYC
Provide BtoBC with an accessible waterfront office and community meeting space from which it can coordinate programming at Piers 35 and 15, partnerships, and public engagement.
Repair the water supply and swings at Pier 35
Restore the pier's nonfunctioning water features and swings so that this heavily used public space can operate as originally designed.
Maintain and repair the Jerry Driscoll Walk
Undertake immediate repairs, cleaning, lighting improvements, and ongoing maintenance to preserve this important waterfront pedestrian connection.
Reaffirm Public Access Agreement to the Battery Maritime Building (outdoor and indoor spaces)
Install clear signage and establish operating procedures confirming that the restrooms and the café within the publicly owned Battery Maritime Building are available to waterfront visitors.
Mid-Term Priorities
These are projects requiring planning, interagency coordination, capital funding, or resolution of existing legal and operational constraints.
Remove all vehicle parking from beneath the FDR Viaduct
Relocate government, employee, and commercial parking so that publicly owned waterfront land can be reclaimed for recreation, pedestrian circulation, community uses, and resilient open space. Landscape and green the esplanade and waterfront wherever possible.
Remove or replace the abandoned pier pilings adjacent to Brooklyn Bridge Beach
Remove hazardous remnants of the former pier to improve safety, views, shoreline access, and the potential for swimming, boating, and other water-dependent recreation.
Repurpose public open space at Pier 15
Return any public space to active public use through landscaping, seating, recreation, and connections to the surrounding waterfront esplanade.
Analysis of the structural integrity of the entirety of the public esplanade and create a usage plan to minimize and mitigate further damage and maximize programming and opportunities of the public realm.
Evaluate/enhance the marine habitat around Pier 35
Long-Term Priorities
These are major capital and land-use projects that are essential to creating a continuous, resilient, and publicly accessible East River waterfront.
Relocate the DSNY Manhattan District 3 Garage and FDNY EMS operations away from Pier 36
Identify appropriate inland or alternative sites for these municipal facilities so Pier 36 can ultimately be reclaimed for waterfront recreation, community facilities, maritime uses, and resilient open space.
Demolish and Rebuild the New Market Pier Platform
Replace the deteriorated pier structure with a resilient, publicly accessible platform capable of supporting indoor recreation, maritime activity, and community programming.
Build a badly need Seaport Recreation Center.
A Brooklyn Bridge Beach similar to Gansevoort Peninsula
To align with promises made for public access, programming, and improvements to the surrounding CSOs and to the marine habitat.
Around the warterfront
