LOWER MANHATTAN — Mayor Michael Bloomberg is taking steps to turn his controversial plan for Seaport City — a new Battery Park City-style neighborhood on the East Side of Lower Manhattan — into reality.
Bloomberg announced a request for proposals Wednesday to study the feasibility of his vision to create a new neighborhood on landfill along the East River from the Lower East Side to Battery Park, in an effort to protect the Sandy-ravaged area from future hurricane storm surges.
Much like Battery Park City, which was built on landfill in the Hudson River in the 1970s, and fared relatively well during Sandy, Seaport City would bring some higher ground to Lower Manhattan's eastern edge.
Bloomberg announced the plan for Seaport City in June as he unveiled a sweeping, 400-page proposal filled with numerous ideas to protect the city in the face of climate change and rising sea levels after the massive damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy.
For the Seaport City request for proposals, due on Aug. 22, the mayor is seeking a consulting team that will comprehensively assess all the “relevant aspects needed to develop a multi-purpose levee” and suggest “visionary environmental engineering and coastal protection plans for a critical location in Lower Manhattan,” according to a released statement.
“Battery Park City helped shield part of Lower Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy and Seaport City can provide similar protection, while also expanding opportunities for new economic development,” Bloomberg said in a statement.
“The resiliency plans we released last month continue to move forward, and this study will enable the city to evaluate an ambitious new idea for protecting vulnerable neighborhoods and making communities more vibrant.”
For those interested in the RFP, an optional pre-proposal session will be held on Aug. 7 at 2 p.m. at the New York City Economic Development Corporation's 110 William St. office.
