There are many new parks springing up over and near the Hudson River but, as part of a larger Battery Coastal Resilience Project, New York City is trying to save Battery Park from going under the river.

Stantec, an international design consulting firm, recently released renderings for a $129 million wharf reconstruction project to protect the park from rising sea levels. 

“The Battery is one of New York City’s most beloved parks, but it faces significant flooding challenges if the wharf remains at its current elevation," said Amy Seek, Design Director at Stantec in a press release. "Our goal through this project is to seamlessly integrate critical infrastructure upgrades into the park, without sacrificing its sweeping views of New York Harbor, bountiful plant life, and historic features.”

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) projects sea levels will rise by 2.5 feet within 30 years and over six feet by the year 2100. As we saw during the wild hurricanes in the recent, lower Manhattan is already very vulnerable to storm destruction. The NYCEDC predicts this is only getting worse.

Stantec debuted the project on March 24th for public review. The project will continue in design throughout 2021, and the firm expects to break ground in late 2022. The project is expected to take approximately two years to finish. Greg Sprich, principal and civil engineer at Stantec, told the Daily Commercial News, it is “paramount is that the design can adapt over time to deal with the progressive rise of tides and sea level.”

Stantec

The adaptive design plan includes raising the waterfront esplanade five feet about its current elevation of 11 feet above sea level. Beyond that, the plan will upgrade draining, ramps, and passageways as well as integrate this with the existing park.

Andrea Zhu, a project manager for the NYCEDC’s Neighborhood Strategies told the Daily Commercial News that they are currently doing emergency repairs to prevent “the wharf from falling into the water. We saw (an opportunity) to kill two birds with one stone to rebuild the wharf into a more resilient structure and to also provide protection for the park” from high tides.

This project falls under the wider umbrella of the $500 million Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project that spans from Battery Park up the East River to the South Street Seaport.