History & Mission
Established in 1968, the Battery Park City Authority was charged with developing and maintaining a well-balanced community on the Lower West Side of Manhattan, in place of where deteriorating piers once stood in the Hudson River. In the more than five decades since, Battery Park City has achieved worldwide acclaim as a model for community renewal and urban development, a planned community with world-class public spaces, commercial, residential, cultural, and educational institutions, low crime, and free, year-round free parks programming for all ages.
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In the years since Hurricane Sandy, as climate change impacts threaten the continued vitality of Battery Park City and Lower Manhattan, BPCA – in consultation with community, City, and State partners – has worked to repair and harden vulnerable areas throughout the neighborhood: from relocation above the flood zone of electrical infrastructure powering the NYC Police Memorial and south side of the North Cove Marina, resilient turf and elevated electric equipment at the BPC Ball Fields, and wet flood proofing of the historic Pier A, to upgrading to water-resistant street lighting, and flood protection measures at the Robert R. Douglass / West Thames Street pedestrian bridge that can be installed in advances of significant storm events.
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​In 2022, BPCA completed the BPC Ball Fields & Community Center Project, entailing an 800-linear foot barrier system to protect the 80,000 square foot playing surface – used by some 50,000 local youth annually – as well as the adjacent community center, from the risks associated with storm surge and sea level rise. Permanent storm water drainage improvements were incorporated into this project, which was named the American Society of Civil Engineers Metropolitan Section’s Sustainability Project of the Year award, presented in recognition of a project which exhibits innovative environmentally sustainable aspects that benefit its users and the public.
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​The South Battery Park City Resiliency Project, currently nearing construction and to be completed in 2025, will provide flood risk reduction for southern Battery Park City and Lower Manhattan. This integrated coastal flood risk management system will run from the Museum of Jewish Heritage, across Wagner Park and Pier A Plaza, and along the northern border of the Historic Battery. In January 2024, SBPCR earned the prestigious WEDG (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) Verification from the Waterfront Alliance. WEDG is a national rating system and gold standard for resilient, ecological, and accessible waterfront design.
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​The North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project, to begin construction late this year in design, will similarly provide flood protection for the balance of Battery Park City and western Tribeca. This integrated coastal flood risk management system will run from just above the Museum of Jewish Heritage at First Place, north along the Battery Park City Esplanade, across to the east side of West Street/Route 9A, and terminate above Chambers Street at a high point on Greenwich Street.
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Taken together, these resiliency initiatives will create an integrated coastal flood risk management system incorporating approximate design flood elevations ranging from 15 to 21 feet, and play an integral role in protecting lower Manhattan from future climate events as part of New York City’s overall Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project.