Proposal for the Future of New York's Governors Island

The island's 40-acre park is a recreational destination, but waterfront advocates would like to see more use of Governor Island's shoreline and maritime infrastructure.

1 minute read

May 15, 2019, 6:00 AM PDT

By Camille Fink


Governors Island

R.A.R. de Bruijn Holding BV / Shutterstock

The Waterfront Alliance has released a new plan for Governors Island in New York, with a focus on the island’s 2.2 miles of coastline, reports Daniel Geiger:

Among the alliance's ideas are to create more places for visitors to explore the water, including by allowing access to a natural sand beach along Buttermilk Channel, which flows between the island and Brooklyn. A marina could be built to encourage recreational boaters to visit. Reorganizing the island's six working piers and boat landings could create more space for bigger vessels with scientific or historic value to dock.

Additional recommendations include increased ferry service between the island and various boroughs and separation of freight and garbage transport from ferry service. "The alliance wasn’t able to immediately say what its recommendations could cost to implement. Redeveloping piers to accommodate garbage and freight transfers and large visiting ships can run into the many millions of dollars," writes Geiger.

Monday, May 6, 2019 in Crain's New York Business

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