Seaport Coastal Resilience

Seaport Coastal Resilience

FiDi P1 Project High Tide

The Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project is a broad City-led strategy to protect Lower Manhattan from coastal storm surge and sea level rise for now and into the future. The shoreline between Pier 17 and the Brooklyn Bridge is the lowest lying in the general area, making the Seaport neighborhood particularly vulnerable to sea level rise sooner than other areas in proximity. Without action, this area will begin to see frequent flooding by the 2040s, monthly flooding by the 2050s, and daily flooding by the 2080s. In addition, the shoreline is at a higher elevation than the adjacent neighborhood upland of it, creating a bathtub effect – if water pours over a section of the shoreline, it will begin to fill in all the space behind it. As a result of the low-lying geography and the vulnerability to both present-day storms and future daily tidal flooding, it is critical to act now. City funds were committed to protecting this vulnerable area in 2021, and the FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (“BRIC”) program provides additional resources.

The Seaport Coastal Resiliency Project is located along the waterfront with tie-ins to the Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Street Coastal Resilience Project in the north and to the south in the vicinity of John, Fulton, and Pearl Streets in order to provide approximately a level of protection to protect against Sea Level rise until 2100.

The Project shall address the following design goals:

  • To ensure protection from a 2050s Storm Surge, and 2100 Sea Level Rise within the project area
  • Drainage and green infrastructure elements, including new inlets, piping, manholes, and outfalls for directly managing runoff, including runoff from the drains of the FDR Drive viaduct;
  • Potential public realm enhancements which may include pedestrian and new community recreational access, available greenery access to the waterfront, enhanced and continuation of bike access, public access to hard and softscapes, and other green infrastructure elements, within the project area, including South Street, the local street network, the FDR Drive, and the bikeway
  •  Demolition and reconstruction of the New Market Pier to a higher, protected elevation that integrates with adjacent portions for flood control
  • In-water ecological enhancements that can support a diversity of marine flora and fauna species

 

Lead: NYCEDC, MOCEJ
Funding: $228.8M

Timeline: 48 months from Design Contract to Construction Completion