NYC’s Floating Park Gets Approval

• February 12, 2015

by Lark Turner

An ambitious plan to turn a dilapidated New York City pier into a park got the go-ahead on Thursday, according to DNAinfo. The Hudson River Park Trust voted unanimously to let the project move forward.

Back in November, billionaire real estate mogul Barry Diller announced his plans to turn a pier near Chelsea into a huge floating park called Pier 55. Diller and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, who are married, are financially backing the $130 million plan. The project still needs state permits as well as a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, according to DNAinfo, though Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio have previously indicated their support for the plan.

The two were also major backers of the incredibly successful High Line project. $113 million in funding for the floating park and performance space would be financed by Diller’s foundation, which would also maintain the 2.7 acre park for 20 years. The remainder of the construction costs for the public project would be financed by the city, according to DNAinfo.

The design concept for the project offers up two football fields’ worth of green space up to the public, according to the New York Daily News. It includes an amphitheater, large lawns and gardens throughout.

The plan is somewhat reminiscent of the 11th Street Bridge Park project, a bold concept that would connect Anacostia and Navy Yard with a bridge covered in usable public space. Though a design for the bridge was selected in October, it’s still much more theoretical: Pier 55 had the distinct advantage of two high-profile, big-pocketed financial backers.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/massive_project_to_turn_nyc_pier_into_park_gets_approval/9528