Looking at the Lack of Substantial Progress at Pier 35 [PHOTOS]
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2015 saw the deliverance of a mostly-complete East River Esplanade at Rutgers Slip. Exercise equipment, basketball courts, and bocce sandboxes were all unveiled a year ago. But not really for the adjacent pier, which was supposed have wrapped by now.
The first concrete progress (pun intended) of the future Pier 35 is now visible, albeit minimal and obstructed by a litany of construction materials.
That gradual asphalt ramp you see will eventually rise to become a buttress for a canopy that will shield the Sanitation warehouse to its back. The structure itself will allow for green growth. Meanwhile, the entrance to this new “EcoPark” is also taking shape. Those pylons in the East River are the basis for the foot bridge. Upon completion, this waterfront respite will “provide a unique landscape for educational opportunities on marine ecology.” It’ll include open space, lawn, seating, and children’s swings.
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But, contain yourself. Don’t get too happy over the news. Advancement toward the finish line has been in a holding pattern for months. The Pier 35 EcoPark is already two years behind schedule due to the delays; target completion was 2013. To that end, Community Board 3 will hear neighborhood concerns about the lack of progress onsite at the Parks subcommittee meeting this month. Word on the street is also that locals are also organizing a grassroots group to help push the project forward.
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