complex started in 1994 and began opening
in stages in 1995.
Governor George Pataki signed the
Hudson River Park Act in 1998, offi cially
creating the park. The Hudson River Park
Trust combined the land of the southern
half of the park, owned by New York State,
and the northern half, owned by the City.
The plan was that the city and the state
would fi nance the park’s construction, but
the park itself would be maintained with
revenue from commercial development and
run by the Hudson River Park Trust.
Construction on the project started
shortly after the legislation was signed,
with costs fi rst estimated at around $300
million. The fi rst complete section of the
park opened in 2003 in Greenwich Village.
After the 2003 opening, construction
was stalled majorly. Clinton Cove opened
two years later, and Piers 66 and 84 opened
the year after that. Half of the park was
completed by 2013. By 2015, 70% of the
park was fi nished, with costs reaching
around $500 million. Development came
nearly to a halt because through the years,
the trust lacked funds to build new structures
and maintain the old ones in the river
environment.
In 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo
PHOTOS BY DEAN MOSES
promised to complete the Hudson River
Park and to protect the marine estuary.
This agreement came as part of the plan
to reactivate projects regarding Piers 54
and 55. In 2020, Cuomo acted on that plan
by announcing the long awaited transfer
of Pier 76 from a NYPD tow pound to an
integrated part of the park complex by the
Hudson River Park Trust.
“There is only a precious limited amount
of green space left for community use, and
we have to make sure we are protecting and
preserving it on Pier 40 and Pier 76 and
are carefully balancing the park’s fi nancial
needs with protection of green space,”
said Cuomo in 2020. “The redevelopment
of this valuable land will maximize
underutilized green space and recreational
and market potential with the possibility of
connecting regional landmarks like Javits
and the High Line.”
Construction of the expansion at Hudson
River Park is ongoing. Once completed, it’s
expected to bring signifi cant recreational,
economical and ecological benefi ts to the
entire city.
For more information on the development
of the park, visit Hudson River Park’s
website, hudsonriverpark.org.
— Compiled by Carsen Holaday
Hudson River Park
Hudson River Park:
A timeline of its
rapid development
Hudson River Park, a waterfront
landscape that spans 550 acres, is
Manhattan’s second largest open
space after Central Park. Though it’s only
22 years old, it’s quickly become a go-to
destination for those seeking to enjoy a day
of fun and relaxation on the waterfront.
The park has a signifi cant history that
can be traced back almost four centuries.
Before the colonization of America, the
Native American Lenape tribe used a
portion of the now park as a camp until
Manhattan Island was purchased in 1626
by Peter Minuit. The land along the Hudson
River shore was used as an oyster barge
and eventually a port, becoming home to
passenger ships such as Robert Fulton’s
Clermont and piers such as Pier 54. The
area was also used for the development of
the cattle industry up until the 1960s.
In the 1970s, the Urban Development
Corporation proposed a six-lane highway
as Interstate 478. The plan, named
“Westway,” was championed by New York
Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Mayor
John Lindsay. Along with the transportation
development, it included provisions
for 98 acres of continuous parkland with
waterside parks and a three-mile-long
paved path. New York City offi cially gave
up on the project in 1985 after years of
fi nancial trouble as well as political and
environmental objections. However, the
plans for the park still persisted, though
laying low for many years.
In 1992, Governor Mario Cuomo and
Mayor David Dinkin announced a new
plan for development. Chelsea Piers, Pier
76 opposite the Javits Center and Pier 40
were designated as key locations for commercial
development that would support
the park. Construction of the Chelsea Piers
Friends salutes
Madelyn Wils
for a decade
of outstanding
service and
extraordinary
leadership
14 March 4, 2021 Schneps Media
/hudsonriverpark.org
