Stuyvesant Cove Park

History

Planning and construction

Located on the what was once the brownfield site of a former ready-mix concrete plant and a parking lot, the park was created after the failure of the proposed Riverwalk mixed-use development that would have included residential units, offices, a hotel and a marina. Surplus concrete dumped from trucks into the East River has created a small beach in the middle of the park near the end of 20th Street, which is not intended to be accessed by pedestrians.

After the Riverwalk proposal was withdrawn, Manhattan Community Board 6 commissioned the landscape architecture firm of Heintz/Ruddick Associates to prepare an open space study for the site. The "Stuyvesant Cove Open Space Study" was completed in June 1993 in collaboration with Karahan/Schwarting Architecture Company and included plans for a waterfront park with a pedestrian esplanade, bike path, beach, boathouse for kayaks, dock with barges for sunbathing, 5000 sqft environmental & education center, and restaurant and deck to be built above the parking garage at the adjacent Skyport Marina. The results of the open space study were incorporated into a 197-a plan submitted by Manhattan Community Board 6 in 1995, pursuant to Section 197-a of the New York City Charter. The 197-a plan was modified by the City Planning Commission and adopted by the City Council in 1997.

Advocates for a new waterfront park from Citizens United Against Riverwalk (CUAR), a neighborhood group that had opposed the Riverwalk mixed-use development proposal, formed a new group called the Stuyvesant Cove Park Association, which obtained federal, state, and city funding to finance the construction of the new park. The park, which was completed in 2002, cost $8.3 million and was designed by Donna Walcavage Landscape Architecture. Roadways in the surrounding area were reconfigured to maximize the size of the park, which included shifting the northbound service road of the FDR Drive from the east side to the west side of the elevated viaduct, converting Avenue C into a two-way boulevard between 18th Street and 23rd Street. The changes to the surrounding roadway network also extended northwards towards 25th Street where a new point of egress was added from Waterside Plaza to allow vehicles exiting the apartment complex to travel south and then under the FDR Drive viaduct to get to 23rd Street. Before the park was constructed all traffic exiting Waterside Plaza had to travel northbound to 34th Street.

Opening and early years

Solar 1, an environmental learning center with a small outdoor stage for public performances, opened at the north end of the park in 2003. The facility was a 500 sqft solar powered pavilion that was intended to be replaced by a larger building in the future. Community Environmental Center (CEC) agreed to maintain the new park for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) in exchange for the use of city land for the environmental education center. CEC established "CEC Stuyvesant Cove, Inc." as a separate non-profit entity in 2004, which began using the name "Solar One" the following year.

Since its opening, Stuyvesant Cove Park has been planted with a variety of native plant species. The park was initially maintained by NYCEDC and most of the plantings died due to a lack of water. In 2002, when CEC was awarded the contract to take over the park, including its maintenance, Jon Cramer of CEC was titled the program director and he hired Jeff Tucker to be the first ever Chief Landscaper. Jon was responsible for constructing Solar 1, the first ever self-sustaining building in Manhattan running off of solar power. In 2018, park manager Emily Curtis-Murphy embarked on a program to showcase plant species originally native to Manhattan and Long Island in a manner that positions the park as an outdoor classroom for students attending local schools.

The western edge of the park contains a two-way bike path that runs alongside the FDR Drive viaduct. The eastern side of the park was designed to include a curved walkway of varying width that alternates between sections located adjacent to the bulkhead and others set back behind planting beds. Seating areas located within the park included covered gazebos, tables, chairs and benches designed by Carr, Lynch & Sandell.

In 2018, ferry service was added to the park with a stop on NYC Ferry's Lower East Side route. A new ferry landing was constructed near East 20th Street to accommodate NYC Ferry service, which consists of two 80 ft gangways leading out from the bulkhead to a 35 by barge. The ferry landing has been served by NYC Ferry's Soundview route since 2020, when the Lower East Side route was discontinued.

East Side Coastal Resiliency project

The park was closed at the end of 2020 and rebuilt to allow for the construction of a new floodwall with flood gates as part of the city's East Side Coastal Resiliency project. The park was completely demolished in order to build the flood protection system. Prior to construction, thousands of native plants from the old park were donated by Solar One to over 30 community organizations in New York City. This project also removed the gazebos and some seating from the park, replacing it with stadium style seats and more tables. The northern section of the park was reopened to the public on May 31, 2023. The southern section of the park (south of 20th Street) was reopened in December 2023. The current park was designed by Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects.

The parking lot under the FDR Drive viaduct adjacent to the park, which had been closed during construction of the floodwall, reopened at the beginning of 2024. Manhattan Community Board 6 and local residents have called for the parking facility to be converted into public space, similar to sections of the FDR Drive viaduct further downtown along South Street that include seating areas and recreational facilities such as courts and exercise equipment. The floodwall at Stuyvesant Cove Park was finished in late 2024.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new two-story environmental education center at the north end of the park was held on September 13, 2023. The 6,500 sqft building was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and will include flexible indoor space that can be used for classrooms or community functions as well as office facilities, storage areas, and a 25kW rooftop solar array with a battery energy storage system. The new building opened in September 2025.

Native Plants of Stuyvesant Cove Park

As of 2016, these are the native plant species that vegetate at the park:

References

Notes

Sources

References

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36. (September 9, 2025). "NYCEDC and Solar One Cut Ribbon on State-of-the-Art Environmental Education Center". New York City Economic Development Corporation.