Manhattan officials want a second opinion on a $1.3 billion flooding resiliency plan pushed by the de Blasio administration that would reshape part of Lower Manhattan.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Councilwoman Carlina Rivera announced Monday that they have hired a consultant to assess the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project. Hans Gehrels of the Dutch environmental group Deltares has already begun a review of the project, which would add a flood barrier up to 13 feet high along a roughly 2.5 mile stretch of coastline between Montgomery and East 25th streets.
The city announced significant revisions to the project last September, following a nearly four-year review. The new plan, according to the city, would save construction time, but it's nearly doubled projected costs to meet the deadline mandated by federal funding. This sudden shift sparked backlash from residents of neighborhoods near the construction. “People want a separate opinion from that of the city,” Brewer told The City.
The revision calls for jacking up portions of East River Park up to eight feet to protect it from storm surges, along with building a series of walls, berms, levees and green spaces rising 16 feet above sea level to keep floodwaters at bay. The original plan called for adding those measures closer to FDR Drive, which Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office said would have required difficult nighttime highway closures. The revision raised the estimated price from $760 million to $1.3 billion.
Gehrel, an expert in urban resiliency, will be paid $20,000 for his review, The City reported. He will interview stakeholders in the project, including Manhattan Community Board 3. The City Planning Commission is expected to review the project at a meeting on Sept. 23.