Battery Park City Resiliency Efforts Are Finally Underway. Here’s What to Expect
May 20, 2024
The Battery is getting ready to withstand a lot more battering. Earlier this month, the city broke ground on a massive, ambitious project to protect Lower Manhattan from climate change, flooding and storm surges, kicking off a $200 million project to elevate and rebuild the wharf promenade. It’s part of the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) Project. This is the city’s overall plan to fortify the coastline of Manhattan to protect against storm surge from weather events like Superstorm Sandy, which flooded Lower Manhattan in 2012, and other heavy rainstorms in recent years that have soaked the neighborhood.
In the Battery, that takes the form of not just construction, but also adding salt-tolerant trees and plantings to withstand flooding, enhanced drainage systems and permeable pavement surfaces that allow flood waters to drain instead of overloading the sewer system.
Construction is expected to last until 2026 and will aim to get the waterfront above the expected sea level rise for the year 2100. The project will also accommodate some passenger ferries and add universal accessibility for the paths and esplanade while protecting the park’s cultural and historic resources. The wharf promenade on the park was built in 1940, and the city says it’s long overdue for a major upgrade to be ready for today’s climate-related challenges.
The new project will rebuild Wagner Park and its surrounding pavilion, raising the 3.5-acre slab of land about 10 feet and while adding new amenities including a community space and restaurant. By the time it’s finished in 2026, the project is expected to provide a reinvigorated waterfront with greenery, paths and activities, without the risk that one big storm could wash it all away.
photo: courtesy Battery Park City Authority (BPCA)
