There are, of course, many questions about the potential impact of the Trump administration’s budget proposal on New York City. One project still moving forward is the multi-million dollar East River flood protection initiative.
Earlier this week, city officials held a public hearing on the Lower East Side to gather feedback for the latest version of the plan. New York will soon submit an Action Plan Amendment to the federal government that will detail how a Community Development Block Grant awarded in 2014 will be spent. The revised proposal is now available online. You can submit comments through April 24.
The East Side Coastal Resiliency Project will create a series of flood walls from Montgomery Street up to East 25th St. As part of the design, new recreational spaces will be created and connections between local communities and the East River will be improved. The federal government awarded $335 million for the project and the city has added its own funding, bringing the total to $767 million. There’s separate funding for flood protection below Montgomery Street.
While the federal money has already been allocated, there are serious concerns about how the grant will be administered. This is because the Trump administration has proposed eliminating the Community Development Block Grant program.
You can read the Action Plan Amendment here. There will be more opportunities to comment regarding the plan later this year. A land use (ULURP) hearing is expected at Community Board 3 this coming summer. Groundbreaking for the project is anticipated in the spring of 2019.
