Becoming A Park

Becoming A Park. Hudson River Park. , The seeds of the Pier 76 park were planted in 1998 with the Hudson River Park Act, which called for the city to relocate the tow pound so that the pier could be incorporated into the still-new Hudson River Park. However, no progress was made for more than two decades. In 2020, citing the enormous need for public open space in Manhattan, legislation was signed requiring the New York Police Department to vacate the pier by year's end. Construction of temporary park space began in February of 2021 and was completed in May., The plan for Pier 76 was part of a sizable state investment to transform midtown Manhattan for its economic future. Phase 1 of construction called for environmental remediation, preservation of the 1960s steel support structure, and opening the park for immediate public use while long-term plans are developed and implemented., [Captions:] , The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the State Office of General Services followed an aggressive planning and construction timeline in order to have the park open for visitors by summer 2021., Preservation of the pier's steel support structure preserved evidence of the city's history as a working port while simultaneously creating an attractive, open space from which to view the river.