Last week – in our story about the new community visioning for a park at Pier 42 – we mentioned the troubled reconstruction of East River Park. More than a decade after it was declared unsafe and closed, a final stretch below the Williamsburg Bridge remains unfinished.
City officials have missed countless deadlines. For months the Parks Department web site has proclaimed the project would be finished in the fall of 2011. In October of last year, a Parks Department spokesman told us all of the work would be done by the time 2011 drew to a close. One TLD reader promised he’d “swim to Williamsburg” if that happened.
At a Community Board 3 meeting, Parks Department officials predicated a new opening date: summer of 2012. While no one on the Lower East Side should be holding their breath for the ribbon cutting ceremony, it does look like significant progress has been made. Most of the paving appears to be complete. There still is a lot of planting to be done, though. Click through for more photos.
I’ve been around too long, disappointed too many times, don’t believe it.
I believe it. They switched contractors about two months ago I think and they have been flying along. The weather has helped as well.
The promenade will actually be finished this year. If you walk by you can see that the boathouse will be renovated as well. There is a small part of park (Where the construction equipment are kept) that needs to be fixed up, so the probability is the park will not be totally finished this summer. As for Pier 42, I wish they would be simple and not take forever. But we know that will not occur.
Also one of the bridges further up is not done, in limbo.