“From coastal resiliency and sustainable green practices to the preservation of affordable housing, world-class public art, and vibrant, year-round programming in award-winning public spaces, Battery Park City leads the way in many of the measures that makes cities livable."
In support of the forthcoming North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project (NWBPCR), BPCA will be installing three wall “mockups” of the project’s Flood Barrier System (FBS) at two neighborhood locations. These structures – ranging from between 6′-8.5′ high and 12′-16′ feet in length – are intended to mimic the dimensions and appearance of the eventual FBS wall that will, upon completion, protect Battery Park City and other portions of Lower Manhattan from flood events.
Wall mockup installation will occur at South End Avenue and Third Place, and Albany Street at the BPC Esplanade entrance, allowing BPCA – and the public – to experience how the FBS will appear when complete, both against the visual backdrop of existing buildings and in close proximity to the river’s moisture and salinity. Installation of the mockups will be conducted from late May to August 2025 and include:
– 8’ high perimeter fencing (shown as the red dashed lines below) with sound blankets to secure the work zone; – Removal of pavers, minor hand excavation, installation of formwork, and pouring the wall mockup segments; – Removal of one tree in each mockup location, which have already been planned for removal during construction of the permanent FBS; – Public access to the BPC Esplanade will be maintained throughout the course of this work.
Mockup installation will occur during regular citywide construction hours of 7AM-6PM, Monday through Friday, and will not entail any drilling or jackhammering. The perimeter fencing will be removed after installation is complete later this summer, and the mockups will remain in place during the duration of the NWBPCR construction, to be removed upon project completion.
Location 1: 3rd Place at South End Ave (Mockup A)
Location 2: Albany Street Entrance to the South Esplanade (Mockups B & C); to be installed within existing planting beds.
A key component of the City of New York’s Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project, NWBPCR will provide risk reduction to property, residents, and assets within the vicinity of Battery Park City and western Tribeca. This integrated coastal flood risk management system will run from just above the Museum at First Place, north along the Battery Park City Esplanade, across to the east side of West Street/Route 9A, and terminate above Chambers Street at a high point on Greenwich Street.
In addition to providing risk reduction from coastal flooding, stormwater runoff, and heavy rains, NWBPCR will also bring with it more landscape – over 30% increase in total planting coverage within the project area; and an 85% increase in native plantings – better supporting birds and pollinators with new planted areas that shorten existing gaps in habitat corridors. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2025 take approximately five years to complete.
