LOWER MANHATTAN — When a long-delayed footbridge across West Street is slated to start construction this fall, it will lead into a new, expansive public plaza.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the West Thames Bridge, a 230-foot pedestrian bridge that's been in the planning stages for more than a decade, will feed into a new privately owned public plaza at the base of a luxury tower at 50 West St.
Developers for the 64-story condo building, which should be ready for occupancy in the fall, are building out a plaza that will surround the tower. The plaza, which should be open 24 hours, and also ready in the fall, will feature planters, chairs and tables and even an outdoor gallery.
Rendering of the 50 West Street Plaza. (DBOX)
Developers told the WSJ that the plaza will allow for a better pedestrian experience for the thousands of people expected to cross the metal and glass bridge when it complete.
“Its design creates far more than a crossing,” said Francis Greenburger, chairman of Time Equities Inc., 50 West Street's developer. “It creates a dynamic pedestrian environment where people want to spend time.”
The West Thames Street bridge will take at least two years to build and will replace a long-maligned Rector Street footbridge that was meant to be temporary after Sept. 11, but has remained.
