$170 Million Park Would Replace Manhattan's Pier 54

With designs by architect Thomas Heatherwick and Landscape Architect Mathews Nielsen, a park proposal for the Hudson River would make a splashy addition to the neighborhood that boasts the south end of the High Line.

1 minute read

November 19, 2014, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Charles V. Bagli and Robin Pogrebin report about a plan to build an offshore park near 14th Street in Manhattan sponsored by Billionaire Barry Diller. According to Bagli and Pogrebin, "[the park] would be a bold addition to the Manhattan waterfront — a $170 million, futuristic park built atop an undulating platform 186 feet off the Hudson River shoreline with a series of wooded nooks and three performance venues, including an amphitheater."

"Mr. Diller, the chairman of IAC/InterActiveCorp and former head of Paramount Pictures and Fox, has agreed to provide $130 million to build the park through a family foundation; an additional $39.5 million would come from the city, the state and the Hudson River Park Trust."

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio are both reported to support the project, and the project will still require approval from the project only needs approval from the Hudson River Park Trust full board, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation to move forward with construction in 2016. The article goes on to detail the political implications of the park, such as the long difficulty in developing along the Hudson River and the issue of private control over public space.

Monday, November 17, 2014 in The New York Times

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