Mayor Adams Opens New East River Park Ballfields, Delancey Street Bridge as Part of East Side Coastal Resiliency

September 10, 2024

ESCR Will Protect 120,000 New Yorkers from Flooding by 2026 Completion Date - On Time and On Budget

WATCH: Overnight Installation of New Delancey Street Bridge

NEW YORK - New York City Mayor Eric Adams today opened the new Ballfields 1 and 2 in East River Park - the first park areas that are part of the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) to reopen to public use. Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue, and New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley welcomed New Yorkers back to the ballfields today, leading community members over the newly-constructed, ADA-accessible Delancey Street Bridge that spans the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive.

"Keeping New Yorkers safe means building state-of-the-art projects to protect New Yorkers from climate change, while at the same time ensuring that New Yorkers have high-quality spaces to play ball," said Mayor Adams. "That's exactly what we're doing here. We're walking and chewing gum at the same time - fortifying our defenses and protecting our residents and city against sea level rise; safeguarding taxpayer dollars; and ensuring that we also get greener, cleaner, better public spaces in the process."

"Our agencies are nothing if not creative in their efforts to protect New Yorkers from climate change and deliver needed public space. If that means building out, like the 34th Street esplanade, or up, as we're doing here with ESCR, that's what we'll do," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. "When this is all complete, on time and on budget, this will be a beautiful, airy park that shows no trace of the level of complexity that went into its planning. It's a testament to our efforts to ensure all our infrastructure does double duty."

"Today's unveiling of the Delancey Street Pedestrian Bridge and East River Park Ballfields represents more than just new infrastructure; it stands as a testament to our commitment to resilience and community well-being," said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. "These projects not only provide crucial flood protection, but also create vibrant spaces for recreation, connecting our residents with their city and each other. They embody how integrating sustainability and innovative design can enhance our urban landscape and ensure a brighter, greener future for all New Yorkers."

"ESCR is not just about protecting 128,000 Lower East Side residents from flooding, it's also increasing accessibility and making improvements to five important local recreation areas," said DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley. "We're happy to live up to our commitment to reopen this part of East River Park by the start of September little league season, and we remain on budget and on schedule to complete the entire project by the end of 2026. But even with this success, we know we can do better. Mayor Adams has called for alternate capital construction methods like progressive design-build for future resiliency projects, and we can save time and money that way if our current bill in Albany is signed into law."

"The ADA-compliant Delancey Street Bridge and improved access points enhance the accessibility of the city's public spaces for all New Yorkers, including those with disabilities," said Mayor's Office of People with Disabilities Commissioner Christina Curry. "These updates ensure that everyone can enjoy the park and its amenities, reflecting the importance of creating inclusive environments throughout the city."

"As the climate has changed, so has our approach for keeping New Yorkers safe," said Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. "ESCR is an example of how we're transforming our public spaces to protect New Yorkers, while also providing them with amenities like better ballfields and more green space that can be enjoyed for generations to come."

"This latest phase of East Side Coastal Resiliency demonstrates New York City leading the way with double duty infrastructure, delivering critical upgrades that not only mitigate risk to protect residents but also enhance New Yorker's quality of life with accessible waterfront recreation spaces," said New York City Chief Infrastructure Officer Alison N. Landry. "I'm proud of collaboration across government on this project, and in particular DDC's efforts with industry partners to implement capital process reform initiatives, saving taxpayer dollars and maintaining commitments to the community. With better tools, we can do better work to advance the city's resiliency efforts, and I'm eager to see expanded alternative delivery legislation signed into law later this year."

East River Park and Delancey Street Bridge

East River Park's newly rebuilt Ballfields 1 and 2 now feature turf with an advanced drainage system for better maintenance, new stadium lighting for evening play, and new fencing around the perimeter. Through ESCR, new amenities are being added to the rest of the park, including upgrades to the amphitheater, ballfields, tennis courts, soccer and multi-use turf fields, track and field, basketball courts, playground, comfort stations, and picnic and barbeque areas. New passive-use areas will create enhanced spaces with grass and greenery, allowing expanded opportunities for relaxation and reflection along the East River waterfront. The Tennis House, Track House, and 10th Street Comfort Station are also being reconstructed.

The new $32 million, 215-foot-long Delancey Street Bridge is one of the new access points to the park being created by ESCR, and it replaces a much smaller bridge with steeper ramps that was not ADA-compliant. The bridge was manufactured in Italy, assembled in East River Park, and then installed in only one evening over the highway. In addition to the new Delancey Street Bridge, the Corlears Hook and East 10th Street Bridges will also be replaced with gently sloping entryways that will provide access for all New Yorkers, including those with disabilities.

East Side Coastal Resiliency

Most of the southern end of East River Park was closed in late 2021 when DDC began work on 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. ESCR is employing 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 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.

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. 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. Murphy Brothers Playground and Corlears Hook Park will also see improvements such as new landscaping, plantings, lighting, and playground equipment, with Murphy Brothers Playground expected to reopen this fall.

To the south of ESCR, DDC continues to make progress on Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Coastal Resiliency (BMCR) - the companion project to ESCR - which is currently installing flood gates along a 0.82-mile stretch of the Lower East Side from Montgomery Street south to the Brooklyn Bridge. BMCR is also creating numerous new recreation zones along its project area, such as open air seating, publicly-available fitness equipment, performance space, and more. Together, the two projects will form a 3.22-mile flood barrier when they are completed at the end of 2026.

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