Project to Reduce Risk of Flooding for Treasured Local Amenity Used by 50,000 Local Youth Annually
The Battery Park City Authority today announced that it has begun work on the BPC Ball Fields and Community Center Resiliency Project, marking the start of construction on the first of three interrelated resiliency infrastructure initiatives designed to protect Battery Park City from the ravages of storm surge and sea level rise. This $7 million project, which entails construction of an approximately 800 linear foot flood protection system along the northern, eastern, and southern boundaries of the BPC Ball Fields (Warren Street, West Street/South Route 9A, and Murray Street, respectively) will protect the 80,000 square foot playing surface and adjacent community center for up to 10 years. Construction will be completed this fall and will not substantially impact play on the fields, keeping the space open for the community through multiple youth sport seasons.
“We must protect the BPC Ball Fields, which were ravaged by Hurricane Sandy and serve as a vital public space for our community – especially youth,” said BPCA President and Chief Executive Officer B.J. Jones. “As we learn from the past and plan for the future, this project furthers our efforts to make Battery Park City and Lower Manhattan more resilient against the threat of climate change and severe storms.”
“We’re excited to begin the BPC Ball Fields and Community Center Resiliency Project, and appreciative of the collaboration with the community and local youth leagues to develop a plan that minimizes impact on play,” said Gwen Dawson, BPCA’s Vice President of Real Property. “Our goal is to conduct this vital work without losing the ability for the games to go on and to have at the project’s conclusion this fall facilities that are better protected against the risk of flood-related damage.”
The BPC Ball Fields are located at a geographical low point, making them particularly susceptible to flooding. The fields and adjacent community center sustained significant damage in 2012 when Hurricane Sandy made landfall, as storm surge waters poured in from West Street on Battery Park City’s eastern boundary. After completing a multi-million dollar renovation and repair to the BPC Ball Fields by the following spring, BPCA subsequently undertook an overall resiliency study that helped inform development of a series of resiliency infrastructure initiatives to harden and protect Battery Park City’s 92 acres from storm surge, flooding, and sea level rise. The BPC Ball Fields and Community Center Resiliency Project, the first of these initiatives to break ground, was developed in close consultation with the local community, and will remain in place until BPCA’s permanent resiliency measures on the north, west, and south of the neighborhood are completed by the middle of the decade. Permanent storm water drainage improvements are incorporated into the project.
“There is nothing more important than addressing climate change and safeguarding our city against flooding, rising sea levels, and superstorms, said New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer. “We need to think holistically about how to protect Battery Park City and every waterfront community along our 520 miles of coastline. I applaud the BPCA for this work to protect the Ball Fields and for introducing much-needed resiliency measures for our future.”
“Making our city more people-friendly isn’t just about creating green spaces and community-use areas like the BPC Ball Fields; we also must protect those spaces from the real threat of climate change,” said Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou. “I’m proud to have fought to secure funding for the resiliency efforts in 2019, and now those resiliency plans are becoming reality. By acting now instead of waiting for the next Hurricane Sandy, we can ensure our public spaces are preserved for future generations to enjoy.”
“Protecting Battery Park City from flooding is a critical component of our coastal resiliency strategy for Lower Manhattan,” said Jainey Bavishi, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency. “This project will strengthen Battery Park City’s beloved ball fields, ensuring that they will continue to provide recreational space to youth sports leagues and the local community for generations to come. BPCA has provided tremendous leadership in advancing this and other resiliency projects, and I look forward to continuing to partner with them to strengthen the Lower Manhattan shoreline.”
“Like many local residents, our family was temporarily displaced as a result of Sandy. Resiliency is personal and a critical priority for our community,” said long-time downtown resident and Downtown Little League Board Member Andrew Zelter. “I greatly appreciate BPCA’s efforts to incorporate the ballfields and community center into their comprehensive plan. These 2 invaluable community assets have been vital to thousands of families raising children in NYC, especially across lower Manhattan. It is heart-warming to see the miles of smiles and new friendships being formed on the ballfields this spring, especially after the year we all endured. The announced resiliency measures will ensure this for generations of children to come.”
As part of New York City’s overall Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency initiative, BPCA has undertaken three interrelated resiliency infrastructure projects to provide risk reduction to Battery Park City in response to the threat of storm-induced damage associated with climate change. In addition to the BPC Ball Fields and Community Center Resiliency Project, the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project, expected to conclude in 2024, will create a continuous storm and flood barrier from the Museum of Jewish Heritage, through Wagner Park, across Pier A Plaza, and along the northern border of The Battery.
The combined North and West Battery Park City Resiliency Project will proceed through a progressive design-build effort, with project definition and environmental reviews commencing in 2021. The North BPC section of this project in particular represents one of Lower Manhattan’s most vulnerable points for storm surge and flooding, underscoring the dire importance of these resiliency efforts. The West BPC section will be achieved by capitalizing upon existing park and retaining walls to the extent possible, along with the introduction of additional resiliency infrastructure, to form a new line of flood protection along the water’s edge allowing for tie-in to the South BPC Resiliency Project upon completion.
Beyond remediating and implementing solutions to protect the infrastructure of Battery Park City, BPCA has completed a number of additional recovery initiatives since Hurricane Sandy. Street lights have been upgraded to be water resistant, Pier A received a wet flood-proofing rehabilitation, electrical infrastructure powering the NYC Police Memorial and south side of the North Cove Marina has been raised and housed in new, above-ground electrical vaults, and an IT disaster recovery system has been implemented, among other efforts. These measures, along with the BPC Ball Fields and Community Center Resiliency Project, continue to provide a strong foundation and framework in support of Battery Park City’s planned comprehensive system of protection against the threat of environmental challenges and natural disasters, preserving essential community infrastructure and public spaces for years to come.
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