Hudson River Park Funding Tops $230 Million
Construction of the Hudson River Park along Manhattan’s West Side will receive another $10 million dollars in Port Authority of New York and New Jersey capital funding, New York Governor George Pataki announced on Wednesday.
This funding is in addition to the $5 million from the State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) included in the Governor’s Executive Budget, and shows how serious the state government is about completing the five mile long, 550 acre waterfront park on the Hudson, a National Heritage River.
“Eight years ago we seized an historic opportunity to create a world-class waterfront park along the Hudson River on Manhattan’s West Side, and today, Hudson River Park is providing residents and visitors with improved recreational, cultural and educational amenities and new access to the scenic beauty of the Hudson River,” Governor Pataki said.
“This new, additional funding will build on our commitment to fulfill the vision of Hudson River Park and ensure a lasting legacy for our children and generations to come.”
To date, New York State has committed and funded $100 million for the Park’s construction. The $5 million in proposed EPF spending, and the additional $10 million in Port Authority funds, will enable the state to match funds being committed by New York City, bringing total funding for park construction in the 2005-2006 Fiscal Year to $30 million.
Hudson River Park is a joint project between New York State and New York City to create a world class park that extends from Battery Park to 59th Street.
The park will include recreational piers, sports fields, and beaches, balconies and other places that provide access to the water for swimming and fishing. Including the river area between the piers, Hudson River Park will add over 550 acres of open space to New York City.
The park is being planned and built by the Hudson River Park Trust, a state-city partnership whose sole mission is to design, build and operate the facility.
The state and city together have now committed more than $230 million in design and construction funding to the park.
The Park’s Greenwich Village segment opened in 2003 and the opening of Clinton Cove, between 54th and 57th Streets is anticipated this spring. The Chelsea section lies between them.
The $30 million in additional funding commitments will allow the Hudson River Park Trust to move forward with construction on the Chelsea segment of the park in the coming year.
State Parks Commissioner Bernadette Castro said, “With this commitment to Hudson River Park, Governor Pataki continues to champion innovative park design and development in New York City, building on his vision of transforming abandoned piers and a derelict waterfront into an urban oasis.”
Hudson River Park begins at Battery Place with a bikeway and walkway that continues five miles along the entire length of the Park to 59th Street. This is the southernmost section of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail, which will eventually run 140 miles to Troy, north of Albany in upstate New York.
Provided by the Environmental News Service.
