The concept designs have been unveiled for the $129 million Battery Coastal Resilience Project in Lower Manhattan. Stantec is the lead designer for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) project.
The Battery currently sits at an elevation that will be submerged as sea levels rise. As part of the project, the wharf at the southern tip of Manhattan will be reconstructed, raising the waterfront esplanade approximately 5 feet above its current elevation—11 feet above Mean Sea Level—to protect the park and nearby community. Several complex issues will be addressed in the design, including in-water construction, interior drainage, and integration of a new wharf elevation with the existing parkland.
The project team anticipates using an adaptive design strategy—one that will continue to provide the well-known views of the New York harbor, relief from sea level rise and nuisance flooding, and flexibility for uncertain future conditions. Improving universal design and accessibility at the wharf is also a primary objective of the project; the concept design integrates ramps and pathways into the elevated wharf, while maintaining accessibility to the waterfront.
The concept design renderings were displayed at the project’s first public meeting on March 24. The project will continue in design throughout 2021 and 2022 with various levels of design reviews by approval agencies. Groundbreaking is forecast for late 2022.
Images: Stantec