Pier 40 Could See Offices Rise Under A Plan To Keep It Afloat

WEST VILLAGE, NY — On Manhattan's west side, Pier 40 could see office buildings rise under a plan to fund Hudson River Park and refurbish the deteriorating pier.

The Hudson River Park was established by a state law in 1998, requiring some piers to act as revenue generators for the park — including Pier 40. But as the park nears completion, the Hudson River Park Trust — the city-state entity that operates the park — has eyed a legislative change to allow for further development on Pier 40 to help foot the bill of the 550-acre park.

Under draft legislation, state legislators are floating a plan for 700,000 square feet of office space with a 49-year lease for developers to build on Pier 40.

But the Trust sees the drafted plan's details as not "viable" enough, scaring off potential developers who might propose a plan. The Trust instead wants a 99-year lease and some 880,000 square feet of building space.

Under the proposal as-is, closures of the beloved ballfields are possible without the cash to fix the root problems, the Trust's president, Madelyn Wils, said.

"If the proposed legislation stands as is, it'll be status quo for the Pier 40 ballfields for the foreseeable future," Wils told Patch. "And that means more temporary flooding closures and likely permanent closures of the South Pier Shed fields in the next few years."

The pier, which is undergoing $100 million in repairs to the piles, is known for its plethora of ballfields. Those ballfields already temporarily close after rainfall due to a shoddy drainage system, per the Trust. A rooftop at an existing building on the pier will need to be entirely replaced within the next few years, according to the Trust.

Though the Trust does not have a timeline of when closures could happen due to Pier 40's dilapidated state, "what's being proposed right now simply isn't viable" for development, Wils said. The goal of such development would be to fund about 25% of the park's costs, per the Trust.

The proposal, drafted by Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, would give preference to a developer's proposal to re-adapt the pier's existing buildings — where a parking garage, offices, and some indoor recreation is located. But if a re-adaptive use is determine unfeasible, the height of a new building would be a maximum of 88-feet, or about eight floors. The lease would be 49-years with the option for a 25-year renewal.

Glick sees allowing any new office buildings at all on the pier as a compromise with the Trust, she told Patch.

"Currently, no office building is allowed so we have already accepted that we will move forward with some hundreds of thousands of square feet of office space with some height restrictions that are quite a bit higher than the existing structure," Glick said.

"So as far as compromising, the only one not compromising is the Trust," she said. "Considering that the community has mixed feelings, we feel we've done a great deal to address concerns of the Trust."

The legislation is still a draft, Glick added, and there is no formal bill proposed. She said legislators are working towards changing the original 1998 law, though couldn't say what will happen in the remaining days of the legislative session.

One Pier 40 advocate wants the drafted proposal tossed out — with eyes towards next year for a chance to get politicians' on board to fund Hudson River Park with public cash.

“They should put this in the trash can where it belongs," said Tobi Bergman, a former Community Board 2 member, who recently resigned from CB 2 due to frustrations over Pier 40 after 22 years on the board.

"You're going to have to either find another source of income or else you're going to have to diminish this incredible opportunity for growing ... and increasing this wonderful asset," he said. "People really have to make up their minds. Do they want a park or do they not want a park."

In April, CB 2 passed a resolution against new office space on a lease more than 30 years, with a list of asks if a legislative change does go through, such as limiting the number of workers at potential offices.

A Downtown sports advocate, Andy Scruton, says the drafted plan, which would allow for two-thirds of the pier to remain open space, is better than nothing. Just yesterday, kids' ball practices were cancelled due to rain and the shoddy drainage system, he said.

"We believe that moving forward and progress is better than the status quo and what we have right now," said Scruton, the president of the Downtown United Soccer Club.