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Bloomberg Wants To Create "Seaport City" To Save NYC From Global Warming
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jun 11, 2013
Modified Jun 11, 2013
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jun 11, 2013
Modified Jun 11, 2013
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Now that we know New York City's future is that of a country-fried floodzone, what are we going to do about it? Today Mayor Bloomberg released a 430-page report outlining his vision to bolster the city against future incidents of extreme weather and global warming. The most intriguing idea: Seaport City, a Battery Park City for the East Side. Man, this fourth Bloomberg term is gonna be crazy!
From the release:
Construction of ‘Seaport City’: By installing a multi-purpose levee with raised edge elevations, the City could both protect much of the East River shoreline south of the Brooklyn Bridge from inundation and create a new area for both residential and commercial development. Using the model of Battery Park City, which was designed to withstand major flooding, the City will work with local communities, businesses and property owners to explore opportunities for a new neighborhood.
Read more about the concept on, *ahem* page 385 of the report [PDF] and click through to see more of the Renderings for A New Tomorrow.
All of this is expected to cost $20 billion. "The City can rely on $10 billion provided through a combination of City capital funding already allocated and Federal relief, as well as $5 billion from additional, expected Federal relief already appropriated by Congress," the release states, leaving a gap of $4.5 billion. The report has a variety of recommendations for meeting it [PDF], like hitting up the feds for $2 billion in unredeemed 9/11 tax benefits, adding a surcharge to insurance policies (about $1.00/month for a homeowner policy costing $1,000), and milking the developers of the Future Seaport City for cold, corporate cash.
You can use the release below as your cheat sheet, but the report itself is exhaustive and worth reading.
201-13 (SIRR Report Recommendations)
Tagged
big plans
global warming
hurricane sandy
science
seaport city
original
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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