In the next several days, there will be a couple of opportunities to become engaged in the future of Pier 42. Back in November of 2011, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. set aside $16 million for the future development of the pier as a park. Coming up on Sunday, the Parks Department and State Sen. Daniel Squadron (who helped secure the government funding) will lead community members on a tour of the pier, which includes an abandoned shed and a parking lot.
In addition to the tour, there will be an opportunity to discuss “interim uses” for the area. Several organizations, including Hester Street Collaborative,would like to stage cultural and community oriented programs on the pier, as a way of “reclaiming” a space that has been underutilized for so many years. The visioning for the park and its construction will be a very long process, and a lot more money will be necessary to make the project a reality. Sunday’s tour begins at noon at Pier 36 (Montgomery Street).
Then on Thursday October 4, Community Board 3 Parks’ Committee will meet to discuss the Pier 42 plan. That session will take place at the Hamilton Fish Recreation Center, 128 Pitt Street, at 6:30 p.m. The Parks Department has hired a consultant to work with the community on the project, and to assess the condition of the pier. The rehabilitation of East River Park (just above Pier 36) took more than a decade because (among other reasons) that section of the waterfront was on the verge of collapsing. City officials believe Pier 36 is in better condition but they won’t no for certain until the consultant conducts a thorough examination.
