Batten down the hatches!
New York City’s fi rst fl oodgate arrives on the East River waterfront
BY DEAN MOSES
Nearly 10 years after Hurricane
Sandy inundated
much of Lower Manhattan,
the East River waterfront
received its fi rst fl oodgate
last week.
The $1.45 billion East Side
Coastal Resiliency Project
(ESCR) has been underway
since November 2020 and
aims to protect the Lower East
Side from extensive fl ooding
has seen some minor setbacks
over the last several months.
However, there is a light at the
end of the tunnel for the Department
of Design and Construction
(DDC) with the installation
of the project’s fi rst
fl oodgate in Stuyvesant Cove.
A large portion of the fl oodwall
has already been erected
along the Stuyvesant Cove
Park waterfront, but on Feb.
24, New York City’s fi rst 42-
foot, 32-ton fl oodgate was
lifted into place and fi tted into
the wall. Workers in hardhats
carefully helped guide
the mammoth gate as a crane
lifted it into the air. The structure
was then carefully fl ipped
upright and slotted into place
in what was a major milestone
for the project.
LOCAL NEWS
Construction workers guide a crane as it places the gate along the waterfront.
The fl oodgate, when closed,
will enable the city to shore up
its coastline should another
major storm churn up powerful,
destructive waves on the
waterfront in the future.
“Really, really exciting day.
It’s a monumental moment
not only for the agency, but for
the city,” DDC Commissioner
Thomas Foley said.
The 32,000-pound gate is
to remain open after construction
is completed but can be
closed in advance of a coastal
storm to protect the surrounding
area. This will also allow
pedestrian traffi c to maintain
access to the waterfront unless
there is an emergency. Foley
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
explained that it is imperative
to ensure New Yorkers can
continue to enjoy Stuyvesant
Cove.
“It is critical, it’s critical for
success. The only way that
we can have a successful resiliency
project here—one of
the largest in the US—is to ensure
that we maintain access
at all times to this critical park
area,” Foley said.
The gate was constructed in
upstate New York before being
transported to Lower Manhattan
for the implementation.
The ESCR is a protection
plan devised as a response following
the devastation of superstorm
Sandy and the mass
fl ooding it wrought. From
Montgomery Street up to Asser
Levy Playground, the ESCR
is implementing a 2.4-milelong
barrier consisting of fl ood
walls, berms, raised parkland
and swinging and rolling gates
in hopes of protecting residents
from further storms while also
adding quality of life improvements
to East River Park such
as new amenities.
While the controversial
East River Park portion of the
construction isn’t expected to
be completed until 2026, the
Stuyvesant Cove Park portion
has an expected end date
of 2024.
“We’re on time and on budget
and we will complete this
portion of the project by October
of 2024. We actually have
fi nancial incentives for early
completion with the contractor
and we’re gearing up towards
that as well,” Foley said.
Hochul announces agreement
on aff ordability at Inwood Tower
BY ESTHER WICKHAM
New York Governor
Kathy Hochul announced
on Feb. 24
an agreement with Inwood
Tower to preserve the affordability
for households located
in Manhattan.
The state of New York and
Community Renewal will
provide a $7.6 million subsidy
loan that allows Mitchell
Lama cooperative development
team to undertake
capital repairs.
“As New York State takes
action to combat the housing
crisis in the wake of the pandemic,
this agreement protects
critical support for an affordable
housing community in
an increasingly unaffordable
neighborhood,” Governor Hochul
said. “New York will continue
to preserve and upgrade
affordable housing developments
across the State in order
to ensure that they remain a
safe and affordable housing resource
for the next generation
of New Yorkers.”
In addition to Inwood Towers’
offer of 190 affordable
homes, this agreement paves the
way for critical capital improvement.
Improvements will include
elevator repairs, roof and
radiator replacement and more.
“The cooperators of Inwood
Tower recognize that through
the Mitchell-Lama Program,
we enjoy fair housing that is
integrated and diverse,” Eileen
King, Cooperative Board President
of Inwood Tower, said.
“With this loan, Inwood Tower
can address major capital
repairs needed for our nearly
60-year old building and comply
with new environmental
requirements and still maintain
affordability for decades
to come. Homes and Community
Renewal continues the
commitment of Mitchell-Lama
housing to reduce the rent burden
DON POLLARD/OFFICE OF GOVERNOR
Governor Kathy Hochul
on families so that they are
not using most of their income
for housing costs.”
With these new
improvements and sustainable
progress, public offi cials commend
the Governor’s administration
in an effort to maintain
affordable housing for lowincome
New York families.
“In a rising housing market,
it would do little good to
require affordable homes or
apartments without providing
a mechanism to ensure that the
units remain affordable over
time,” Senator Robert Jackson
said. “Today, thanks to this
agreement to preserve affordability,
190 households will
stay affordable at the Inwood
Tower at the Mitchell-Lama
cooperative development over
the next 30 years. Preserving
existing affordable housing
prevents displacement, having
a lasting positive impact
on generations of families as
homeowners in the Washington
Heights neighborhood.”
Schneps Media March 3, 2022 3