Hudson Street 'Grand Boulevard' Transformation Project Begins

HUDSON SQUARE, NY — A project to add pedestrian space and protected bike lanes to seven blocks of Hudson Street began construction Wednesday, city officials announced.

The so-called "grand boulevard" on seven blocks of Hudson Square will soon feature up to five feet of additional sidewalk space, plantings, benches, and a parking-protected bike lanes along the corridor by summer 2021, according to the announcement.

"The Hudson Street transformation into a grand boulevard will increase pedestrian walkability, add new green space, and significantly improve bicycle safety," the Hudson Square Business Improvement District President Ellen Baer said in a statement.

The streetscape project — which is a part of a larger $27 million streetscape masterplan in Hudson Square — will run along Hudson Street from West Houston to Canal streets.

The first phase of work extends from Houston to Spring streets and is slated to be completed by fall 2020. The second phase beings next fall through Canal Street and is slated to be complete by summer 2021, the quasi-public Economic Development Corporation announced in partnership with the Hudson Square BID.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who represents the area, was "thrilled" the project's work began, saying "we're one step closer to making Hudson Square a place where locals and visitors alike will enjoy more pedestrian space, a protected bike lane, and a streetscape filled with beautiful new trees, plants and flowers."

The work will be led by Prima Paving Corporation, a design-build company that combines design and construction services to do major construction work more efficiently. The streetscape scheme is the first public-private project to use a design-build strategy in New York City.

"This first-of- its-kind design-build project is a testament to how we can implement high-quality public space by leveraging the expertise of the construction industry," NYC EDC President James Patchett said in a statement.

The Department of Transportation, Sam Schwartz Engineering, D.P.C., Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects are also on the project team.

Here's what else the streetscape upgrades include, according to the EDC:

• Parking-protected bike lane on Hudson Street from Houston to Canal streets with sidewalk realignments and new pedestrian ramps
• More than 8,000 square feet of plantings
• New benches with about 168 seats, bringing total seating to 186 along the corridor
• 2,255 square feet for future sidewalk cafes
• Bicycle racks with the capacity for 20 bikes
• Application of the "Hudson Square Standard" for urban forestry, using continuous tree pits and permeable pavers to maximize storm water capture and support healthier trees

This article has been updated to clarify that the sidewalks will be extended up to five feet wider, not five feet wider in all locations.