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Stuyvesant Cove Park

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Coordinates: 40°43′59.5″N 73°58′26.5″W / 40.733194°N 73.974028°W / 40.733194; -73.974028
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This article is about the park in Manhattan. For the park in Brooklyn, see East River State Park. For the park in Queens formerly known as East River Park, see Astoria Park.
Stuyvesant Cove Park
Stuyvesant Cove Park in 2023
Map
LocationManhattan, New York
Coordinates40°43′59.5″N 73°58′26.5″W / 40.733194°N 73.974028°W / 40.733194; -73.974028
Area1.9 acres (0.77 ha)
Opened2002 (2002)
Etymologynamed after Peter Stuyvesant
Owned byNew York City Department of Small Business Services[1]
Managed bySolar One (on behalf of New York City Economic Development Corporation[1][2][3]

Stuyvesant Cove Park is a 1.9-acre (7,700 m2) public park on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan that runs from 18th Street to 23rd Street between the FDR Drive and the East River. Part of the East River Greenway, it is located to the south of the Waterside Plaza apartment complex, to the east of Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village, and to the north of the East River Park, and connects to the Captain Patrick J. Brown Walk on the south end.[2] Stuyvesant Cove is served by the NYC Ferry Soundview route.[4]

History

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Planning and construction

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Located on the what was once the brownfield site of a former ready-mix concrete plant and a parking lot, the park was created after the failure of the proposed Riverwalk mixed-use development that would have included residential units, offices, a hotel and a marina.[5] Surplus concrete dumped from trucks into the East River has created a small beach in the middle of the park near the end of 20th Street, which is not intended to be accessed by pedestrians.[6][7][8]

After the Riverwalk proposal was withdrawn, Manhattan Community Board 6 commissioned the landscape architecture firm of Heintz/Ruddick Associates to prepare an open space study for the site. The "Stuyvesant Cove Open Space Study" was completed in June 1993 in collaboration with Karahan/Schwarting Architecture Company and included plans for a waterfront park with a pedestrian esplanade, bike path, beach, boathouse for kayaks, dock with barges for sunbathing, 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) environmental & education center, and restaurant and deck to be built above the parking garage at the adjacent Skyport Marina.[9][10][11][12] The results of the open space study were incorporated into a 197-a plan submitted by Manhattan Community Board 6 in 1995, which was modified by the City Planning Commission and adopted by the City Council in 1997.[13]

Advocates for a new waterfront park from Citizens United Against Riverwalk (CUAR), a neighborhood group that had opposed the Riverwalk mixed-use development proposal, formed a new group called the Stuyvesant Cove Park Association, which obtained federal, state, and city funding to finance the construction of the new park.[14][15] The park, which was completed in 2002, cost $8.3 million and was designed by Donna Walcavage Landscape Architecture.[16][17] Roadways in the surrounding area were reconfigured to maximize the size of the park, which included shifting the northbound service road of the FDR Drive from the east side to the west side of the elevated viaduct, converting Avenue C into a two-way boulevard between 18th Street and 23rd Street.[5][14][18] The changes to the surrounding roadway network also extended northwards towards 25th Street where a new point of egress was added from Waterside Plaza to allow vehicles exiting the apartment complex to travel south and then under the FDR Drive viaduct to get to 23rd Street. Before the park was constructed all traffic exiting Waterside Plaza had to travel northbound to 34th Street.[18]

Opening and early years

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A dance company rehearses on the outdoor stage at Solar 1 in 2010

Solar 1, an environmental learning center with a small outdoor stage for public performances, opened at the north end of the park in 2003. The facility was a 500-square-foot (46 m2) solar powered pavilion that was intended to be replaced by a larger building in the future.[19] Community Environmental Center (CEC) agreed to maintain the new park for the New York City Economic Development Corporation in exchange for the use of city land for the environmental education center.[19][20] CEC established "CEC Stuyvesant Cove, Inc." as a separate non-profit entity in 2004, which began using the name "Solar One" the following year.[21]

Since its opening, Stuyvesant Cove Park has been planted with a variety of native plant species.[22] In 2018, park manager Emily Curtis-Murphy embarked on a program to showcase plant species originally native to Manhattan and Long Island in a manner that positions the park as an outdoor classroom for students attending local schools.

The park's walkway in 2011, prior to reconstruction for the floodwall

The western edge of the park contains a two-way bike path that runs alongside the FDR Drive viaduct.[23] The eastern side of the park was designed to include a curved walkway of varying width that alternates between sections located adjacent to the bulkhead and others set back behind planting beds.[24] Seating areas located within the park included covered gazebos, tables, chairs and benches designed by Carr, Lynch & Sandell.[22][25]

In 2018, ferry service was added to the park with a stop on NYC Ferry's Lower East Side route.[26] A new ferry landing was constructed near East 20th Street to accommodate NYC Ferry service, which consists of two 80-foot-long (24 m) gangways leading out from the bulkhead to a 35-by-90-foot (11 by 27 m) barge.[27] The ferry landing has been served by NYC Ferry's Soundview route since 2020, when the Lower East Side route was discontinued.[4][28]

East Side Coastal Resiliency project

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Floodwall and flood gate at East 20th Street entrance to park in 2023

The park was closed at the end of 2020 and rebuilt to allow for the construction of a new floodwall with flood gates as part of the city's East Side Coastal Resiliency project.[3] The park was completely demolished in order to build the flood protection system.[29] Prior to construction, thousands of native plants from the old park were donated by Solar One to over 30 community organizations in New York City.[30] This project also removed the gazebos and some seating from the park, replacing it with stadium style seats and more tables. The northern section of the park was reopened to the public on May 31, 2023.[3] The southern section of the park (south of 20th Street) was reopened in December 2023.[31] The current park was designed by Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects.[30][32]

The parking lot under the FDR Drive viaduct adjacent to the park, which had been closed during construction of the floodwall, reopened at the beginning of 2024. Manhattan Community Board 6 and local residents have called for the parking facility to be converted into public space, similar to sections of the FDR Drive viaduct further downtown along South Street that include seating areas and recreational facilities such as courts and exercise equipment.[33][34]

A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new two-story environmental education center at the north end of the park was held on September 13, 2023.[35] The 6,500-square-foot (600 m2) building was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and will include flexible indoor space that can be used for classrooms or community functions as well as office facilities, storage areas, and a 25kW rooftop solar array with a battery energy storage system.[36][37] The new building is expected to be completed in 2025.[38]

Native Plants of Stuyvesant Cove Park

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As of 2016, these are the native plant species that vegetate at the park:

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b "East Side Coastal Resiliency Project FEIS" (PDF). September 13, 2019. p. 5.3-1. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Stuyvesant Cove Park". Solar One. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Stuyvesant Cove Park Reopens with New Recreation Areas and Flood Protection for Surrounding Community". New York City Department of Design and Construction. May 31, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Soundview Ferry Route & Schedule". NYC Ferry. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Stamler, Bernard (October 26, 1997). "Park to Grow on the Ashes of the Riverwalk Plan". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  6. ^ "Before & After". Solar 1. Archived from the original on July 2, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  7. ^ Kinetz, Erika (January 13, 2002). "Rock Outcropping or Rubble? No One's Neutral on Old Cement". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  8. ^ Kilgannon, Corey (May 31, 2004). "They'll Take Manhattan (Accidental Beaches, Too)". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  9. ^ "Close to Home" (PDF). Oculus. Vol. 56, no. 3. American Institute of Architects New York Chapter. November 1993. p. 3. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Merkel, Jayne (May 1995). "Approaching Nature: Heintz/Ruddick Associates" (PDF). Oculus. Vol. 57, no. 9. American Institute of Architects New York Chapter. pp. 8–9. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  11. ^ "Comprehensive Manhattan Waterfront Plan" (PDF). Manhattan Borough President. Summer 1997. p. 70. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  12. ^ "Stuyvesant Cove Waterfront Master Plan". Beyhan Karahan & Associates. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  13. ^ "Stuyvesant Cove 197-a Plan - As modified by the City Planning Commission and adopted by the City Council" (PDF). Spring 1997. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Freeman 2003, p. 82.
  15. ^ Lynn, Robin; Morrone, Francis (2013). Guide to New York City Urban Landscapes. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 66. ISBN 9780393733952. Retrieved July 25, 2024 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ Rosen, Dan (December 9, 2009). "Stuy Town Resident Is Putting on The Pier Pressure". The Villager. New York. Archived from the original on January 7, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  17. ^ Freeman 2003, pp. 78, 82.
  18. ^ a b Urbitran Associates, Inc. (May 2000). Stuyvesant Cove Park Environmental Assessment Statement Supplemental Report. p. 3.
  19. ^ a b Tuhus-Dubrow, Rebecca (July 1, 2003). "Park 'n' Learn". Metropolis. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  20. ^ "On the Verge" (PDF). Regional Plan Association. Spring 2007. p. 12. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  21. ^ "2014 Annual Report" (PDF). Solar One. pp. 16–17. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Freeman 2003, p. 80.
  23. ^ Freeman 2003, p. 79.
  24. ^ Freeman 2003, p. 78.
  25. ^ "Stuyvesant Cove". Carr, Lynch & Sandell, Inc. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  26. ^ Berger, Paul (August 29, 2018). "NYC Ferry Begins Lower East Side Service". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  27. ^ Citywide Ferry Service Final Environmental Impact Statement. New York City Economic Development Corporation. July 28, 2016. pp. 12–7, 12–10.
  28. ^ "NYC Ferry Service & Schedule Modification Effective Monday, May 18th, 2020". NYC Ferry. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  29. ^ Kensinger, Nathan (October 29, 2022). "Coastal barriers finally begin to rise around NYC — but can they stop the next Hurricane Sandy?". Gothamist. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  30. ^ a b "2021 Annual Report" (PDF). Solar One. p. 13. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  31. ^ "Construction Project Areas for East Side Coastal Resiliency". East Side Coastal Resiliency Project. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  32. ^ "East Side Coastal Resiliency". Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, P.C. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  33. ^ WXY Architecture + Urban Design (March 2024). "FDR Reimagined: The Future of the FDR Drive in Manhattan CB6" (PDF). p. 40. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  34. ^ Duggan, Kevin (August 19, 2024). "Parking Lot Under the FDR Should Become Public Space: Locals". Streetsblog New York City. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  35. ^ "NYCEDC and Solar One Break Ground on Solar One Environmental Education Center". New York City Economic Development Corporation (Press release). September 13, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  36. ^ Miller, Linda G. (September 27, 2023). "In Case You Missed It…". AIA New York. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  37. ^ "Solar One Environmental Education Center". Gilbane. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  38. ^ "Solar One Environmental Education Center". Solar One. Retrieved July 23, 2024.

Sources

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  • Freeman, Allen (August 2003). "East Side Story". Landscape Architecture Magazine. Vol. 93, no. 8. American Society of Landscape Architects. pp. 76–83. JSTOR 44673765. Archived from the original on January 15, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
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