A crowd came to the defense of Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park on the eve of a project to elevate the public space to withstand rising New York Harbor waters.
By: Stephon Johnson
Protesters against the planned demolition and reconstruction of a Lower Manhattan waterfront oasis are demanding a state authority halt plans to fortify Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park against rising seas.
Last Tuesday evening, several dozen local residents, educators, school children, elected officials, and community leaders descended on the landscaped green space to demand changes to the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project’s design — and a seat at the table.
Local activists contended that even after public presentations and a town hall meeting on the proposal, they have not heard enough. They want to keep the current open lawn space — with its sweeping view of the Hudson River and Statue of Liberty — instead of plowing it under and then elevating it on a hill. They want consultation on the plan.
As the rally was set to begin, the Battery Park City Authority, the state-controlled agency that runs the park, announced an expansion of planned lawn space, Crain’s first reported, with 12,800 square feet added to the project — 74% more green space than initially anticipated for the project.
Britni Erez, a member of the Battery Park City Neighborhood Association (BPCNA), wasn’t buying the last-minute announcement.
Erez told THE CITY that the recent change to the project’s design appears rushed. “I don’t know. Strategically timed, right? I mean come on,” she said.
The new iteration of Wagner Park would have an elevated terrace overlooking New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty, and a 63,000-gallon subterranean cistern to be used to retain, store and reuse stormwater. The project is a part of the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Plan, a larger effort to prepare lower Manhattan for climate change.
Some of the protesters also lamented the recent demolition of another downtown riverfront green space, on the Lower East Side, for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, involving the demolition of sports facilities and hundreds of trees.
“The one thing Robert Moses ever did correct was with the parks,” Anna Theofilopounou, an east side resident, told THE CITY. She said that communities needed green space and he created them. Now, they’re temporarily under renovation.
Closed for Two Years
Initially, Wagner Park would close for two years and be elevated almost two dozen feet. Some local groups, including the Battery Alliance, a volunteer nonprofit, have been skeptical about the plan.
The authority has been soliciting feedback from the community and making sure locals aren’t inconvenienced by the new design.
In an email to THE CITY, BPCA sent a collection of documents and links to community meetings spanning December 2016 to July 2022 as proof of their community engagement.
In a statement, BPCA president and chief executive officer B.J. Jones said that throughout the six-year development of the resiliency plan he had “worked hard to balance the urgency of creating a more resilient Battery Park City and Lower Manhattan with the importance of incorporating community voices.”
