"Resiliency is one of the immediate priorities that’s facing Battery Park City. And we're trying to move this along as quickly as possible."
GEORGE J. TSUNIS
Chairman, Battery Park City Authority
Battery Park City Resiliency Projects
In 2012 Hurricane Sandy made landfall, leading to more than 100 fatalities and $70 billion in damages across a dozen states. In New York City alone, the storm resulted in more than fifty lives lost, millions of traumatized residents and billions of dollars in property damage, along with extensive loss of income and productivity. While Battery Park City fared better than many other affected areas of New York City, it nevertheless sustained millions of dollars of damage to Pier A Harbor House on its southern end, as well as to the BPC Ball Fields and Asphalt Green Community Center in the north as storm surge waters poured in from West Street on BPC’s eastern boundary.
Today BPCA is at work on four interrelated resiliency projects to protect Battery Park City from the threats of storm surge and sea level rise:
The South Battery Park City Resiliency Project contemplates creation of a continuous flood barrier from the Museum of Jewish Heritage, through Wagner Park, across Pier A Plaza, and along the northern border of Historic Battery Park.
With construction scheduled to begin in 2019 and end in 2022, Battery Park City is committed to constructing a a perimeter storm and flood protection system on its southern boundary. This structure will decrease vulnerability from storm inundation and flooding.
The BPC Ball Fields Resiliency Project envisions the design and construction of an independent, permanent flood barrier system along the eastern, northern and southern boundaries of the BPC Ball Fields.
The BPC Ball Fields are located at a geographical low point making them particularly susceptible to the flooding experiences during Hurricane Sandy. To avoid future damage and ensure that both the Ball Fields — used by some 50,000 local youth each year — remain available year-round, flood protection systems will be implemented constructed. The anticipated completion of this project is late 2020.
- Planning Begins to Protect Ball Fields from Next Ravaging Storm (Tribeca Trib)
- Authority pitches anti-flood walls for B.P.C. ball fields (The Villager)
The North Battery Park City Resiliency Project will cover BPC’s North Esplanade and entail a deployable barrier crossing West Street / Route 9A.
With construction scheduled to begin in 2020 and end in 2023, Battery Park City is committed to constructing a a perimeter storm and flood protection system on its northern boundary. This structure will decrease vulnerability from storm inundation and flooding.
- North Battery Park City Resiliency Project – Design Services – AD
- North Battery Park City Resiliency Project – Design Services – RFP
Finally, the Battery Park City Western Perimeter Resiliency Project will be achieved by employing garden/park walls to create a new line of flood protection along the water’s edge. A design RFP for this project will be released later this year.
More about these projects can be found here.
In addition to these ongoing infrastructure initiatives, BPCA has also completed a number of recovery and resiliency initiatives since Hurricane Sandy,, including:
• Flood resistant restoration of BPC Ball Fields and elevation of the electrical equipment
• Wet flood proofing rehabilitation of Pier A, incorporating resiliency elements (resulting in a 2015 New York Design Award; read more)
• Upgrade of street lights to be water resistant
• Infrastructure study, identifying all BPC flood vulnerabilities and recommending area and point flood protections
• Elevation of the Police Memorial electrical vaults above the flood zone (read more)
• Wagner Park study, creating a resiliency concept to connect with the City’s downtown resiliency measures on the eastern side of lower Manhattan
• Inventory of individual BPCA buildings’ resiliency measures
• Expanded flood insurance coverage for BPCA property and assets
• Implementation of IT disaster recovery system
More about these completed projects can be found here.
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
BPC Resiliency Projects: Community Updates
- BPC: DID YOU KNOW? | BALL FIELDS GEOTECHNICAL WORK
- Update to CB1’s Battery Park City Committee (November 7, 2018)
- Update to CB1’s Battery Park City Committee (October 3, 2018)
- VIDEO: Update at BPC’s Open Community Meeting (October 2, 2018)
- Update to CB1’s Battery Park City Committee (April 3, 2018)
South Battery Park City Resiliency Project (Request for Proposals)
- South Battery Park City Resiliency Project Design Services – AD (Proposal Due: 10/4/2017)
- South Battery Park City Resiliency Project Design Services – RFP
- South Battery Park City Resiliency Project Design Services – Addendum #1
- South Battery Park City Resiliency Project Design Services – Addendum #2
- South Battery Park City Resiliency Project Design Services – Addendum #3
- South Battery Park City Resiliency Project Design Services – Addendum #4
South Battery Park City (Other Materials)
- Presentation to Manhattan CB 1 Waterfront, Parks & Resiliency Committee (June 2017)
- SUPPORT POURS IN FOR WAGNER PARK REDESIGN EFFORT
- Community Presentation (March / April 2017)
- Community Presentation (November / December 2016)
- Executive Summary – Wagner Park Site Assessment & South BPC Resiliency Plan
BPC Ball Fields Resiliency Project (Request for Proposals)
- Battery Park City Ballfield and Community Center Resiliency Design Services Project – AD (Proposal Due: 3/2/2018)
- Battery Park City Ballfield and Community Center Resiliency Design Services Project – RFP
- Battery Park City Ballfield and Community Center Resiliency Design Services Project – Addendum #1
- Battery Park City Ballfield and Community Center Resiliency Design Services Project – Addendum #2
Overall Battery Park City Resiliency