Mayor Adams Completes First Section of East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, Taking Steps to Protect Lives, Property

October 17, 2024

Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNyl1o4JBqI

First Section of Project – Between East 15th Street and Asser Levy Playground – Completed Ahead of Schedule, $10 Million Under Budget

City Reopens Murphy Brothers Playground on Avenue C with Flood Protection, New Dog Run, Ballfields, Other Amenities

New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the city has completed the first section of East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) ahead of schedule and under budget, a major milestone in the effort to protect more than 110,000 Lower East Side residents, including 28,000 in public housing, from future storms and high tides and protect billions of dollars worth of infrastructure and property in the area. ESCR employs raised parkland, floodwalls, berms, and 18 swinging or sliding flood gates to create a continuous line of protection against sea level rise and the growing threat of stronger, more severe coastal storms worsened by climate change. The $1.45 billion project is being built in two sections, with the northern section having begun work in November 2020. Work in that area was completed earlier this week at a cost of $163 million, which is $10 million under its original projected budget, and two months ahead of schedule. Construction on the second section, which is underway and anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026, includes a complete reconstruction of East River Park.

"As one of the world's great coastal cities, we know that stronger storms and rising seas are a threat, because no one knows when the next Superstorm Sandy will arrive at our doorstep; but New York City plans to be ready," said Mayor Adams. "Today, we are marking the completion of Phase One of East Side Coastal Resiliency – two months ahead of schedule and $10 million under budget. Once the entire project is completed, the protective gates can be deployed when a hurricane or storm surge is headed our way – protecting lives and New Yorkers' wallets as we safeguard property. Protecting New Yorkers from climate change is a massive undertaking, with millions of lives and billions of dollars on the line – and we're more than up to the task."

"Gone are the days when a park was just a park; now everything must do double duty to protect New York from the vagaries of climate change. There is no clearer example of this mission than the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, where protection and playgrounds are being brought to you ahead of schedule and under budget," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. "As part of our broader toolkit to keep New Yorkers safe from bigger and more frequent storms, our coastal resiliency projects are helping us meet the scale of the climate crisis head-on. I look forward to celebrating ESCR's completion in 2026, thanks to the partnership of our hardworking public servants at DDC and the Parks Department."

"With this milestone, achieved ahead of time and under budget, New York City takes a huge step toward protecting one of its most vulnerable communities from coastal storms and future high tides," said New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley. "We are pioneering shoreline protection and climate change management for major North American cities, and doing it in a way that enhance recreation and enhances neighborhoods instead of just walling them in."

"With the completion of this first portion of East Side Coastal Resiliency we are making concrete progress on our critical work to protect New Yorkers from rising sea levels and coastal storm surges like we experienced during Hurricane Sandy," said New York City Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. "These complex and massive projects take many years to design and build, but with more than a dozen similar projects now underway, from Staten Island to the Rockaways to Red Hook, DEP's Bureau of Coastal Resiliency is eager to be able to operate and maintain these flood defense systems to protect the city from coastal storms."

"These critical enhancements to the east side's waterfront parks represent a landmark investment in lifesaving flood protection for over 110,000 residents on the Lower East Side," said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Sue Donoghue. "Thanks to this innovative project, Murphy Brothers Playground will reopen with improved recreational spaces, new measures to increase climate resiliency, and additional amenities that will keep our urban landscapes vibrant and green for all New Yorkers."

"This is what New Yorkers want to see," said Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. "This is a project delivered ahead of schedule and under budget that protects the community, brings recreational and green space, and plugs into one of the largest and most complex coastal infrastructure projects in the nation."

East Side Coastal Resiliency

ESCR – a $1.45 billion project which is creating a flexible, 2.4-mile-long flood barrier on the Lower East Side from Montgomery Street up to Asser Levy Playground between East 23rd Street and East 25th Street – is designed to protect New Yorkers from the region's anticipated 100-year storm in the year 2050 (a storm that starting in 2050 has a 1 percent annual chance of hitting New York City), based on climate change projections produced by the New York City Panel on Climate Change. The project uses an adaptive design that can accommodate the addition of two more feet of elevation should sea levels in the coming decades rise faster than projections anticipate.

The project has been designed to improve waterfront access through reconstructed bridges and entry points and will also upgrade existing sewer systems to capture and manage precipitation during storms. The first floodgate – which is 42 feet long, 10 feet high, and 32,000 pounds – was installed in February 2022. Flood protection will become effective at the end of the project, which is currently projected for the end of 2026. ESCR also has a companion project to its south called Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Coastal Resilience, which is also due to be completed at the end of 2026. Together, the two projects will protect 3.22 miles of coastline from the Brooklyn Bridge north to Asser Levy Playground at a construction cost of close to $2 billion.

ESCR is making improvements to five recreation areas in total. Stuyvesant Cove Park has been rebuilt with new amenities and a combination of floodwalls and floodgates along its western edge. Murphy Brothers Playground, which reopened this week, has new flood protection, a basketball court, a new dog run, two new ballfields, new lighting, a new playground area and swing set, new trees, and new grading and landscaping. The 2.44-acre Asser Levy Playground – which is now intersected by a new floodwall and sliding floodgate – was partially rebuilt with extensive landscaping and new playground and basketball areas using resilient materials. Corlears Hook Park, which is still in construction, will also see improvements such as new landscaping, plantings, lighting, and playground equipment. The first ballfields in the new East River Park opened in September 2024 along with the new larger and more accessible Delancey Street Bridge spanning the FDR Drive.

"Today marks another important milestone in the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project," said New York State Assemblymember Harvey Epstein. "We should celebrate the reopening of these public spaces with greater protections. I appreciate the city's efforts to protect our coastline and the tens of thousands of New Yorkers living nearby. We know our community needs more public green space, more trees, and storm resiliency. We will continue to work towards these critical goals."

"Today marks a new milestone in our path to a resilient future. We have completed the first half of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, which will protect over 110,000 of our Lower East Side neighbors from the rising threats of climate change. Best of all, we completed ESCR ahead of schedule and under budget, demonstrating our commitment to the time and cost efficient project delivery that New Yorkers deserve," said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. "This arsenal of raised parkland, berms, floodwalls, and flood gates combine into an impenetrable wall of defense against floodwaters and high tides. Together, we will make sure all New Yorkers remain high and dry for decades to come."

"Today is a huge milestone for resiliency on the Lower East Side, and as climate change intensifies, ESCR is increasingly important for protecting the neighborhood's residents," said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. "Additionally, I'm thrilled that valuable open space, playground, and waterfront access has been restored to the neighborhood."

"I join my neighbors in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village excited that we have reached a major milestone stage of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project," said New York City Councilmember Keith Powers. "I'm proud that this seawall will protect our neighborhood from the dangers of climate change and that we were able to build such great parks during the project as well. The new Murphy Brothers Playground will be enjoyed by everyone from little leaguers to dog owners."

"Congratulations to the many teams who worked on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project for completing the first phase of one of the most consequential resilience infrastructure projects in the country," said Cortney Koenig Worrall, president and CEO, Waterfront Alliance. "This is the first step towards providing comprehensive flood protection for over 110,000 residents, all while creating a world-class park along the waterfront. We are thrilled to be a part of the effort that has and will help move projects like this forward in the future."

"As a long-time resident of the Lower East Side waterfront and a community leader involved with the East Side Coastal Resiliency project from the start, I am proud to see this significant milestone achieved ahead of schedule and under budget," said Trever Holland, chair, Parks, Recreation, Cultural Affairs, and Waterfront Committee, Manhattan Community Board 3. "The completion of the first section is a testament to the collaboration between the city and the community in prioritizing safety and sustainability for the Lower East Side. This project will not only protect thousands of residents from future climate risks but also create much-needed recreational spaces for our neighborhoods."

"The city has reached an incredible milestone with the completion of the first phase of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, delivered ahead of schedule and under budget," said Carlo A. Scissura, Esq., president and CEO, New York Building Congress. "This project shows the city's determination to protect over 110,000 Lower East Side residents with cutting-edge flood defenses that are vital in the face of climate change. As we embark on the next stages of construction, our members are ready to roll up their sleeves and help strengthen our city's resilience and ensure the safety of our communities."