CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS East River Esplanade Vision Plan East River Esplanade Vision Plan December 2014 Prepared for: CIVITAS 1457 Lexington Ave New York, NY 10128 www.civitasnyc.org Prepared by: Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, P.C. 120 Broadway, Suite 1040 New York, NY 10271 www.mnlandscape.com CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS © 2014, by Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, P.C. CIVITAS is a neighborhood non-profit organization dedicated to improving quality of life on the Upper East Side and in East Harlem. CIVITAS focuses its efforts on planning, zoning, and environmental issues. Reimagining the Waterfront through a CIVITAScommunity based CIVITAS planning initiative CIVITAS is a CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS current and on-going planning project. The CIVITAS Reimagining the Waterfront community based planning initiative is made possible through a generous grant from the New York Community Trust. CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 1 2. Historic Conditions 5 3. Existing Conditions 11 4. Outreach Process 53 5. Opportunities and Constraints 59 6. Project Feasibility 75 7. The Vision 79 8. Conclusions 111 CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS | Mathews Nielsen 125125th25th Street Project Area Str e 116th Street r 106th Street 96th Street CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS 5th Ave 86th Street Madison Ave Park Ave Lexington Ave 3rd Ave CIVITAS CIVITAS2nd Ave CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS 79th Street 1st Ave York Ave East End Ave 72nd Street Grand Central Parkway 67th Street New York City CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS 59th Street Str 1:24,000 (1 inch = 2,000 feet) Feet 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS 1. Executive Summary Executive Summary Background and this study come at a critical time for Parkland in New York City is a resource the Esplanade. In 2013, the New York treasured by residents and visitors alike. City Department of Parks and Recreation In the communities of the Upper East Side and Office of Management and Budget and East Harlem, the East River Esplanade conducted an underwater investigation offers a cherished landscape with dramatic of the Esplanade’s structural integrity views of the East and Harlem Rivers. The with ARCADIS. This study revealed that Esplanade affords users river breezes, the Esplanade is in need of significant wide open blue skies, access to the water’s repairs within the next ten years. The edge, and a continuous stretch of landscape community’s desire to bring about that is not subject to the stop and go of city meaningful improvements, combined with traffic. This approximately three-and-a- the need for substantial repairs, provides half mile stretch currently spans sixty-five a rare opportunity to envision an innovative blocks, but plans are in place to create and comprehensive design and resiliency Greenway connections to both the north and solution for the East River Esplanade. south termini. With the addition of those planned projects, this section of Esplanade CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITASStudy CIVITAS Approach CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS will provide pedestrian and bicycle access to The opportunities and recommendations residents of Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. The Esplanade is a resource for the future of the East River Esplanade for the adjacent communities and the city as are the products of extensive research a whole, but it is in need of improvements, and analysis combined with an in-depth repairs, and planning to enhance the quality community and stakeholder outreach of the experience and ensure its long-term process. The research examined the viability in light of sea level rise and future experiential, physical, ecological, social, storms. economic, geographic, and hydrologic environment of the Esplanade. In addition, In February 2014, CIVITAS, with consultants the research looked at how this landscape CIVITASMathews Nielsen CIVITAS Landscape CIVITASArchitects has CIVITAS changed over timeCIVITAS as the tributaries CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS (MNLA), launched this study of the East and streams that once fed the East and River Esplanade. The study area covers the Harlem rivers were slowly filled in and the Esplanade between East 60th and 125th hardened edge that now defines the edge of Streets and identified the following goals to the Esplanade evolved. The Esplanade will guide the process: continue to change in the face of numerous environmental factors. Improvements in • Raise awareness of the opportunities water quality have ironically increased the embedded in the East River Esplanade rate of deterioration to its existing structures. • Study all aspects of feasibility Further, it is expected that climate change • Develop recommendations to guide and sea level rise will impact the long-term CIVITASfuture planning CIVITAS CIVITASrelationship CIVITAS between CIVITAS the Esplanade and CIVITAS the CIVITAS CIVITAS • Identify opportunities for short and river, and now is the opportunity to begin long-term improvements planning for these changes. • Identify funding approaches so that improvements may ultimately be CIVITAS, together with Mathews Nielsen, constructed collaborated with stakeholders and community members to gather ideas and This study builds upon the ongoing work information, to identify opportunities, and to of CIVITAS and their commitment to garner input and support for future planning improving civic life in East Harlem and efforts. Between April and September on the Upper East Side. In 2011, CIVITAS 2014, a series of four stakeholder and three sponsored an international design-ideas community outreach meetings were held. competition to jump-start a process for Stakeholder meetings with elected officials, envisioning the transformation of the East agency representatives, and community River Esplanade. Over 90 submissions groups were a forum to share ideas, build representing 24 countries were received, political support, and discern community and the winning entries have been exhibited needs and wishes. Community meetings at several locations throughout the city. offered residents and users of the Esplanade Both the CIVITAS focus on the Esplanade the opportunity to express their ideas for 2 East River Esplanade Vision Plan CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS CIVITAS the future, articulate their concerns, and bicycles and pedestrians, noisy, and share their knowledge of the Esplanade. feels disconnected from the city. More In both the stakeholder and community programming is desired, as are improved CIVITASmeetings, CIVITAS and MNLA CIVITAS presented CIVITASconnections to the CIVITAS water, opportunities CIVITAS for CIVITAS CIVITAS portions of research and shared information gardening, ecological enhancements, and on opportunities and constraints. greater access to recreational boating. These are just some of the things the The product of this process is this Vision community would like to see improved upon Plan. The Vision Plan includes specific and integrated into future planning. The recommendations to guide future planning common thread linking areas in need of efforts as well as a range of opportunities improvement is a lack of physical outdoor for suggested improvements. Research, space. Space is also the element needed community and stakeholder outreach, and to implement and integrate many of the discussion with city and state agencies community’s aspirations and visions for CIVITASform the CIVITASbasis for the CIVITASopportunities CIVITASthe future. Finding CIVITAS additional space CIVITAS for CIVITAS CIVITAS herein. Additional technical analysis, the Esplanade is a technical, regulatory, cost estimating, planning, design, and and financial challenge. Expansion of the community input is needed to refine the Esplanade is limited by the FDR on the opportunities and bring actual projects to upland side, while the river is the limiting fruition. Clearly, there are both significant factor on the opposite side. regulatory and financial obstacles that must be overcome, but these challenges must be Planning and designing an Esplanade with addressed given the potential impact from increased area is a real possibility, and sea level rise and future storm events to the the opportunities presented in this report Esplanade and East Harlem community. show how and where interventions can be adapted to make the best use of future funding to accomplish this goal. The options Key Findings for adding space include building above Stakeholders and community members portions of the FDR or expanding into the shared many ideas and aspirations for river via structure or fill. These are costly the future of the Esplanade. The current options and they are proposed with full Esplanade is narrow, congested with knowledge that the current state and federal regulations discourage expansion above or CIVITAS | Mathews Nielsen 3 into waterways and typically require costly short-term