Lower Manhattan Climate Resilience Plan Released

The Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan, a blueprint for comprehensive flood defense infrastructure to protect Lower Manhattan from the threats of climate change, was released to the public on December 29, 2021.

A press release from (now former) Mayor de Blasio, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), and the Mayor's Office of Climate Resiliency (MOCR) announced the release of the climate resilience plan.

The climate resilience plan reimagines the shoreline of Lower Manhattan by creating a "multilevel waterfront that extends the shoreline of the East River by up to 200 feet from its existing location," according to the press release. The reimagined waterfront is intended to withstand severe coastal storms and rising sea levels while also creating new open space for public use when waters are calm. "The upper level will be elevated by about 15 to 18 feet to protect against severe storms like Sandy, while doubling as public open spaces with sweeping views of the city and harbor. The lower level will be a continuous waterfront esplanade, raised three to five feet to protect against sea level rise while connecting New Yorkers to the water's edge," adds the press release.

The plan comes with a projected price tag of somewhere between $5 billion and $7 billion.

News coverage of the new climate resilience master plan is available from New York City Patch and a paywalled article at Crain's New York Business.