South Battery Park Resiliency Project in Wagner Park Completed
Lower Manhattan’s Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park located along the Hudson River waterfront has reopened following the completion of a resiliency project intended to better defend Manhattan’s southern coastline against the flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The 3.5-acre park in South Battery Park City was closed in March 2023 as redesign plans led by the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) got underway. New resiliency features include a “concealed floodwall designed to withstand storms for up to 100 years, a 63,000-gallon underground cistern for rainwater reuse, and an upgraded stormwater management system.” In addition, “sustainable infrastructure includes native plantings across four ecological zones, reused materials from the original park, and solar-powered, dark-sky-compliant lighting. The existing pavilion structure underwent a redesign and the construction of public restrooms, a classroom, a future dining venue, and publicly accessible rooftop will be completed in phases through 2026. As part of the broader Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency initiative to extend flood protection across the remaining Battery Park City waterfront, BPCA plans to begin work on the North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project later this year, with “proposed features to include flood barriers, upgraded tide gates, a wet-weather pump station, and improved drainage systems.”