
Rendering of proposed flood resiliency infrastructure./Image Credit: DDC, Parks, DOT, DEP, and Mayor’s Office of Resiliency/CPC
The agreement was announced two days before the City Council’s approval of the project’s land use applications. On November 12, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Member Carlina Rivera, Council Member Margaret Chin, and Council Member Keith Powers reached an agreement on community investments and commitments relating to the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, the City’s flood protection plan for Lower Manhattan. The agreement addresses the concerns raised by local elected officials and the community throughout the public review process for the project’s two land use applications. Following the announcement of the agreement, the City Council approved the project’s land use applications on November 14, 2019. For CityLand’s coverage on the land use applications, click here. (more…)

Rendering of proposed flood resiliency infrastructure./Image Credit: DDC, Parks, DOT, DEP, and Mayor’s Office of Resiliency/CPC
Despite the project’s phased construction schedule, concerns with the project still exist among elected officials and community members. On November 4, 2019, the City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Dispositions approved two land use applications for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, the City’s flood protection plan for Lower Manhattan. The Project will include a system of floodgates and walls along the project area, sewage improvements, and will elevate East River Park eight feet above the flood plain to protect the Park and have it serve as a flood barrier for nearby neighborhoods. The first application is for access onto private property adjacent to the proposed flood protection infrastructure for the City to conduct inspections, maintenance, and repair of the infrastructure. The second application is for a zoning text amendment to allow higher wall heights for the proposed floodwalls and gates at Stuyvesant Cove Park.
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Rendering of proposed flood resiliency infrastructure./Image Credit: DDC, Parks, DOT, DEP, and Mayor’s Office of Resiliency/CPC
The project is predicted to protect over 110,000 Lower Manhattan residents from flood and storm impacts. On September 23, 2019, the City Planning Commission voted to approve two applications regarding the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project which addresses coastal flood vulnerabilities in Lower Manhattan. The project area is bounded by East 25th Street to the north, Montgomery Street to the south, and the East River to the east. The area runs along the FDR Drive and adjacent parks such as the East River Park and Stuyvesant Cove Park. The Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Protection, Small Business Services, and Department of City Administrative Services are the applicants.
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Image Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
The project will include the expansion of the Lower Manhattan shoreline and four capital projects devoted to the resiliency of Lower Manhattan neighborhoods. On March 14, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) Project. The project is one of the City’s responses to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Sandy was a turning point for the City to tackle infrastructure resiliency. Hurricane Sandy resulted in $19 billion of devastation for the City and particularly impacted Lower Manhattan. The storm resulted in power outages and flooding in homes, businesses, and tunnels. Since Hurricane Sandy, the City has worked to assess Lower Manhattan’s climate change impacts and risks and analyze coastal protection options for the area’s 3.3-mile shoreline. (more…)
Both Mayor Bill de Blasio and Senator Chris Murphy addressed economic disparity and the necessity of a long-term vision and cooperation of local leadership in strengthening the New York Metropolitan region’s infrastructure and economy. The Regional Plan Association held its 24th Annual Assembly at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on April 25, 2014. The RPA is a non-profit that seeks to promote planning for economic competitiveness, quality of life, and long-term sustainability in the larger New York metropolitan region, comprising of northern New Jersey, southern New York State, and western Connecticut. The RPA is currently working on its fourth regional plan since 1929, which will offer a guide for the area’s long-term responsible growth, sustainability, and infrastructure improvement. The last regional plan was published in 1996. (more…)