Out With the Old and In With the New: Wagner Park’s Closing For Two Year Renovation
Positioned perfectly at the southern tip of Manhattan, Battery Park City’s Wagner Park has been a prominent landscape that both New Yorkers and tourists have enjoyed for several years. However, renovation and reconstruction are in the works following the recent plan of new development, closing the park til the Summer of 2024 and leaving many people missing its beauty.
Named after Robert F. Wagner, a famous Democratic US senator, Wagner Park has the most intimate and captivating views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. This waterfront isn’t just a popular spot to relax or to collect the flawless views of the Hudson. It’s most notably known as a place for community and for nature lovers to take pleasure in the plant life and greenery.
Wagner Park began its construction in 1979 and opened to the public in 1996. The development of the 3.5 acres of the park was a joint collaboration between Laurie Olin with Hanna/Olin. Lynden Miller designed the native plant palette, and Machado and Silvetti Associates performed architectural services. The park includes a rectangular lawn, wood benches, rows of trees, and planting beds of grass to comfortably rest on. When visiting Wagner Park, you’ll find most people observing the trees or picnicking with friends and family.
Close to Wagner Park lies several other great features that add to the beauty of Battery Park City. Pier A Harbor House is walking distance from Wagner Park. Nicknamed as the “Liberty gateway”, Pier A is the last surviving historic pier in New York City. In addition, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and was recognized as an historic landmark in 1977. Gigino's Restaurant is another notable location for food-lovers to enjoy their Italian food featuring a beautiful view of the oceanfront while eating. Some museums nearby include The Skyscraper Museum and the Museum of Jewish heritage.
Battery Park City Authority is the public organization responsible for maintenance and development of all public parks and spaces within Battery Park. Created in 1968, the BPCA’s mission is to plan, create, coordinate, and sustain a balanced community of commercial, residential, retail, and park space within its designated 92-acre site on the lower west side of Manhattan. Now, major changes are underway and an entirely new park will be available to the public.
Known as the South Battery Park Resiliency Project, the $22 million project is only the second resilience project to take place in Manhattan with Wagner Park being the focus. This project has been in the making for years following the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. As New York City is surrounded by mostly large bodies of water, protecting the public areas from another storm is of high priority.
This summer, Wagner Park begins its reconstruction and is expected to take two years for completion with a mission to increase elevation and add more amenities. The park will be elevated up to 12 feet. Along with that, a new restaurant, community room, education centers and the main lawn will be extended for more resting space. Pier A will also be seeing some changes with an extension of the esplanade that will connect to the rest of the park.
Adding on, sustainability is a major focus of the park’s renovation. Below the lawn and new gardens, a flood barrier and drainage will be built to manage flood waters. With increased elevation and rising sea levels, flood protection through stoned flood walls will solidify the preservation of the park and the South Cove neighborhood, which is of close proximity to Wagner Park.
Back in 2012, Hurricane Sandy left irreconcilable damage to many parts of New York City. Hurricane Sandy resulted with 50 deaths, thousands of families needing to be relocated, and billions of dollars in property damage. Pier A underwent substantial damage, costing BPCA millions of dollars for reconstruction. Since then, the State of New York has not only been repairing these damages through costly efforts, they’ve been considering a long-term solution. Because Wagner Park is of service to a great deal of residents and tourists, its existence is crucial for pleasure and for businesses in the area.
The overall structure of the park will be completely reshaped and modified. The rectangular shape of the park will no longer exist. The increased elevation will make way for a new shape, contributing to their mission of flood protection. In the coming years, visitors won’t just be able to enjoy the pier, they'll be able to see the city at a higher elevation. Until then, the park and pedestrian sidewalks nearby will be blocked off and unavailable for usage until completed.
Although many residents are eager to see the awaited completion of Wagner Park, many others fear that the preservation of plant-life may be threatened. As the threat of climate change continues to be the topic of conversation, so does the safety and conservation of the land and its people. Essentially, the plan is to keep the park as dry and safe as possible. But the aftermath of construction could lead to some serious changes in the landscape and wild-life habitat. Climate change activists are advocating for the park to remain the same, but necessary changes such as flood protection cannot warrant a longer wait.
Still, The South Battery Park Resiliency Project is part of the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Program with a mission to manage flood risk and prevent destruction from hurricane and storm flooding. Battery Park City lies in the danger zone of hurricane flooding and this project could save many residents from relocation.
The closing of Wagner Park comes with great disappointment for several regulars who visit daily or weekly. It will not be easy to avoid the feeling of missing the scenic views and blissful peace that it brings. This summer, along with the next two years, are expected to be long. But, what's to become of it will surely be worth the wait.