The Mayor Bill de Blasio announced this Thursday the start of construction activities for the ‘East Side Coastal Resiliency‘(ESCR), a massive $ 1.45 billion climate resilience project that will extend flood protections and improve open spaces for more than 110,000 New Yorkers, including 28,000 public housing residents (NYCHA), on the side East Manhattan, from 25th Street south to Montgomery Street.
The Mayor’s Office specified in a statement that these neighborhoods, which were hit by the Hurricane Sandy in 2012, “Will now host one of the most ambitious infrastructure and climate justice projects in the history of the New York City”.
When making the announcement, De Blasio stressed that achieving a recovery for all, after the pandemic, also “will mean fighting against climate change and invest in resilient communities. This project will keep generations of New Yorkers safe from extreme weather, coastal storms and rising sea levels, all while preserving and enhancing some of our city’s most iconic open spaces. “
The president said bluntly: “This city will lead the way in preparing for the worst effects of climate change and it will ensure that we recover faster and stronger from the next big storm. “
The project ESCR will include an integrated 2.4 mile elevated park system, flood walls, barriers and moving gates to create a continuous line of protection against rising sea levels and the increasing threat of stronger and more severe coastal storms worsened by climate change.
The project involves significant improvements to open public spaces and amenities, including improved waterfront access via reconstructed bridges and entry points. It will also upgrade existing sewer systems to capture and manage rainfall during storms.
The City anticipates that the project, which is expected to be completed by 2025, in addition to protecting New Yorkers from coastal storms and rising sea levels, will also dramatically improve local parks, playgrounds and recreational facilities.
“I am proud that we are embarking on this one-of-a-kind project that not only protects us from storms and rising sea levels, but also guarantees permanent access to our beloved East River Park, where I, as a resident of the Lower East Side , I have so many memories “said the councilor Carlina Rivera who represents that area.
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