Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Half Of East River Park Closed To Public As Flood Protection Project Begins
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Dec 6, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Alex Kent/Gothamist
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Dec 6, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The contentious plan to demolish and rebuild East River Park, a key climate priority for the de Blasio administration that’s prompted legal challenges and neighborhood uproar, is officially underway.
Construction crews arrived at the park on Monday morning, fencing off most of its southern half between Corlears Hook and Houston Street. The work marks the start of a sweeping five-year plan to bury the entirety of the 2.2 mile green space under eight feet of landfill and build a new park on top of it.
When it's eventually complete, officials say the elevated park will reduce flood risk for more than 100,000 people, many of them residents of the public housing complexes that were devastated during Hurricane Sandy.
But the project has also become a battleground for neighborhood residents, who accuse the city of tearing down a vital green space instead of pursuing more innovative flood protection measures. Those opponents have filed a slew of lawsuits in recent months, temporarily halting construction until last week.
Protesters blocking construction crews on Monday
Alex Kent/Gothamist
At a small protest on Monday, at least three people were arrested for attempting to block work trucks. “Just look at the plan,” one activist shouted, as cops placed zip ties around their hands. “Why was the plan switched?”
Much of the community’s ire centers on the de Blasio administration’s decision to abandon a previous proposal, developed over years of community meetings that grew out of the federal government’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force. That plan envisioned raising a much smaller portion of the park, while adding berms and marshland to absorb future storm surge.
In late 2019, the city scuttled that project, announcing their decision to raise the park completely. City officials cited fears about maintaining a floodable green space, as well the disruption to motorists on the F.D.R. Drive and potential dangers to Con Ed’s power lines under the previous proposal.
Construction work at East River Park on Monday
Alex Kent/Gothamist
They have argued that the new plan will ultimately improve the public space by modernizing amenities and entry points. While the construction will result in the removal of close to 1,000 trees, many of them are in declining health, in part because of increased exposure to saltwater, according to the Parks Department. The agency intends to plant 2,000 new trees in their place.
Rather than close the full park, as initially planned, the city has agreed to construct the new park in stages. Under the current phasing plan, the southern half of the park will be closed until the summer of 2023, while much of the northern half, including the barbecue areas and basketball courts, will remain open. The majority of construction in the park’s northern half will take place from the summer of 2024 through the end of 2026.
“The East Side Coastal Resiliency project will save lives and provide much-needed flood protection for more than 100,000 New Yorkers in this area,” Megan Moriarty, a Parks Department spokesperson, said in a statement. “This critical open space improvement project will ensure that these waterfront parks are accessible and resilient for the surrounding community in the face of our daunting climate future.”
Tagged
climate change
new york city
manhattan
east river park
mayor de blasio
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .