By Daniel Katzive
City Parks Department officials are scheduled to return to Community Board 7’s Parks and Environment Committee June 17 with a revised plan for the 79th Street Boat Basin Marina – the department’s third attempt in four years to win the various approvals needed to restore the dilapidated facility. As promised back in March, the plan incorporates a smaller, one-story design for the controversial dock house building, which will house space for marina staff and programming.
The design, marked “Commissioner Review (Preliminary Design),” and dated June 4, includes renderings of the dock house building and was shared in City Councilmember Gale Brewer’s weekly newsletter with a link to a slide presentation.
The original plan for the structure, proposed back in 2021, also called for a one-story structure, but that 6,175 square foot concept was rejected by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which said the building would cover too much area over the water.
Planners returned in April 2023 with a smaller two-story proposal. But the added height meant the building was visible from the Riverside Park and Drive Historic District. The impact on the historically significant view triggered additional reviews, which eventually forced parks officials to start over.
The third proposal calls for a 3,800 square foot building, about 60% of the size of the original 2021 plan and 80% of the one rejected last year. The new plan covers about 10% more area over the water than the two-story structure would have. The loss of space will impact the amount of programming and facilities for boaters that can be provided, parks department officials said back in March.
The plan would replace an existing damaged 835-square-foot dock house, but city officials say a facility of that size would not be sufficient to comply with codes governing new construction.
Even at one story high, the proposed building will still appear elevated from the Riverside Park promenade. This is because zoning rules require that the base of the habitable area of the structure be above the ‘design flood elevation,’ which is 19 feet above the average water level of the river and about 10 feet above the level of the promenade.
The new proposal also has a different facade design from what was previously presented, which was generally panned by CB7 members. The new renderings show a facade with more glass, which the presentation says is “bird friendly,” and diagonal stainless steel beams.
In response to a query from West Side Rag, Brewer said by email: “I am glad it is lower in height but it is still a large building. I want to see renderings of the interior and know what the space is projected to be used for.” Brewer said she plans to attend the CB7 committee’s June 17 meeting.
One thing that appears not to have changed as the dock house design has shrunk from the original proposal back in June 2021 is the budget of $89.2 million, which covers dock house construction as well as the cost of building new docks, adding more protection from wakes of passing boats, and dredging. The budget has remained constant even as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics producer price index for non-residential construction has risen 32% since that time.
The marina has been closed since the fall of 2021, and boaters are now entering a third summer without access to the 79th Street facility. At the March meeting, project managers told the CB7 committee that if all went smoothly going forward, construction could potentially begin in 2026, but they said they could not provide an estimate on when the project might be completed in the absence of a final design. For more on the Boat Basin reconstruction project and impact on displaced boaters, please see our June 2023 article.
The Parks and Environment Committee’s June 17 meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Members of the public can attend at the CB7 offices, 250 West 87th Street, or participate via Zoom.
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NYC has so many things more important things to spend money on, including schools, parks, street cleanliness and NYCHA. Why spend nearly $90 million on a marina that isn’t even open to the public? I have no objection in principle to marinas, but it’d be better to offer it as a long-term concession to a private operator, who could then charge docking fees that cover the costs of renovating the marina and its operating expenses (and some profit, of course). Perhaps that way the city could earn some revenue. A cash-strapped city like ours has no business staying in the marina business.
Wasn’t the money for this approved/allocated years ago?
And it is largely FEMA funding specifically allocated by the federal government for a marina at this location. It’s not transferable.
By your logic parks and libaries are a luxury.
And one of the reasons the City should stay in the “marina business” is so that the marina is not just for billionaires, the way the Chelsea one largely is.
That’s also why we have city-owned golf courses.
And city construction is more expensive, and much less efficient
Yes, as just one example, DOH announced a new animal adoption center for the Manhattan animal shelter, in Jan 2015. Big splash in NY Daily News. They are converting an existing garage. It is still not open.
Riverside Park is an ecologic disaster. Pedestrian access is dangerous at best between 83rd Street in both directions along the river due to the uncontrolled use of motorized vehicles and bicycles. This dithering about the Boat House by CB7 and Brewer is nonsense. Build a boat house and return the charm brought to the West Side by that facility. Brewer and CB7 need to do a way better job of advocating for the needed repairs to the ecology and hardscape of Riverside Park and support efforts to bring order out of the chaos created by two-wheeled vehicles North and South of 83rd Street.
Dear Grumpy Old Man,
You ARE being grumpy. The design of the boat house will impact everyone using the park. The original plans were so outsized and intrusive that it would have been like having a bland warehouse dropped into the park along the river at 79th St. We needed advocates who would insist on downscaling and improving the look of the building that generations will have to live with. I agree that the ebikes, etc. are creating chaos in the park. That needs to be addressed too. But don’t minimize the importance of controlling what will be built along the waterfront. CB7 and Gale Brewer are doing diligence here.
CB7 and Gale Brewer are not doing “due diligence” in addressing the pedestrian safety issues resulting from two-wheeled vehicles–motorized and traditional– on the Riverside Park “highway” from 83rd Street, North, and South. What steps have been taken by Ms. Brewer and CB7 to advocate for increased funding for Riverside Park? It is wonderful that Joan of Arc has been refurbished and plans are afoot to address the needs of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, but Riverside Park’s ecology requires attention. No trees, no park! No grass, no park!
Why spend $90 million on something the nearby residents don’t even want. Just cancel the whole thing and spend the money on something more useful.
Its FEMA funding from Sandy. It isn’t transferable to other projects.
All funding is transferable. They could easily use FEMA money to repair the drainage and erosion in Riverside Park that is causing countless sinkholes from 96th Street Nortb. That boathouse is hubris
because it’s not always about what “nearby residents don’t even want.” If we left development and construction decisions to local residents all the time, I am not sure how much progress we would ever have.
Residents have spoken and the designers went back to the drawing board and have, in my opinion, responded to most of the complaints. At some point, we do have to let development happen.
I’ve given up complaining about the city paying for and running a private marina (yes, I know some of the programming and access is for kayaks, but most of it is slips and bathrooms for private live-aboard boats). These people and their boats have found other places to go, and they should stay there, so the $89 million can put to better use.
BUT: this is so much better than the shipping-container look of the first two designs. It’s light and bright, and it looks like sails, which is appropriate for the site. Why didn’t the architects come up with this before? Thank goodness they were forced back to the drawing board.
So I hope it’s approved, and we can move on. I’m still angry about the whole project, but enough already.
Agree. If we must have an elevated structure (given that flooding is probably in our future because of climate change), this design is a creative and cheerful improvement over the earlier ones. I could conceivably even develop some affection for it.
Just take down all those rotting pieces of wood and give us back a fabulous restaurant overlooking the river to enjoy! Cheers!
Looks much better than the first two tries. Let us go forward with this refined plan and see if they can build the whole program for the $90 million dolars. My guess is that 2 years after completion, about 80% of park users will grumble and accept the building. About 20% of New Yorkers (and humans in general) cannot be satisfied by anything. get over yourselves. Let’s mve on.
Agree it’s much better than the prior monstrosities. For those who forget how BAD the initial design was, please feast your eyes:
https://www.westsiderag.com/2021/11/28/proposed-boat-basin-dock-house-design-raises-eyebrows-time-to-start-shouting
Think you forgot to add about 70% of WSR commenters are never satisfied =)
After three tries it’s becoming clear that the best that we can hope for at this point is a building that can be “tolerated”. Not exactly a noble mission. Might our elected officials insist that someone else be given a crack at the design? There are several top tier architecture programs in the city. What a great student competition or assignment.
Creating a further multi-year delay..
Right…to avoid a multi-decade eyesore. The delay was created by inept design, not opposition to inept design
Now let’s work on the W125th Street docks that have even destroyed in storms and never rebuilt.
I’ve got to admit it’s getting better, a little better all the time (it can’t get no worse).
How…with a straight face…does this project cost $89 million???!!!
A 15,000 square foot Greenwich, Connecticut oceanfront mansion on a 30 acre estate with guesthouse, a dock, tennis courts, 8 car garage and pool would cost far less.
Talk about CORRUPTION.
I’m looking at the photo of the existing boat house and wondering why the proposed design is not more in sync with the design of the rotunda and the area around it. I understand why it has to be elevated but this new look is too industrial. I’d like to see a breakdown of the pricing as well. I would think you could replace every dock and boathouse on the river for $90 million.
“Charm” does not come to mind readily when I see this design. It’s getting there, but is still too large, and 10x overpriced for this administrative office and restroom for the rich.
Yes. Build it. I’m so sick of looking at those rotting docks while waiting for the UWS NIMBYs to finally be happy with the perfect design. I miss seeing sailboats on the Hudson. Let’s get this going!
Could there be a place to build a dock house on the other side of the promenade? Seems unnecessary to build over the water, if it could fit on land.
It sounds like the programming is for boat owners. Does the UWS need a boathouse? It would be good to have a restaurant/cafe and other facilities for UWS residents. And how about speed bumps on the path along the Hudson so e-bikes and even other bikes need to go slower?
It’s not as bad, I guess. But Riverside Park above 72nd Street needs more TLC. The lawns seem more unkept than usual, and the current bike path situation is embarrassing compared to Riverside South and Hudson River Park. It would be great if the city could provide a separate bike lane above 72nd Street so it didn’t have to cross a hilly shared path that is a glorified detour and creates pedestrian conflicts.
I was in the old dock house before, and it was a dump, but they don’t need a massive new building to manage a marina. It needs office space for a handful of people and a maintenance area. I’m sure this new design includes a large party and event space. Suspicious that they’re aren’t listing what ‘programs’ are planned for the building. We’ll see when they release plans for the interior.
For all the negativity in these comments, I would just like to say that, while I’m saddened that its size will impact certain aspect of marina usage by the boat owners, I certainly believe they have finally come up with a “look” that is more appropriate and respectful of the park and its surroundings. And while I’m sure they could bring the cost down (the City is infamous for its corruption and mismanagement of projects like this), I say build it and let’s see just how it affects the boat owners.
And then, as several people have mentioned here, we MUST address the Wild West atmosphere of the park (and particularly the Greenway) vis-a-vis electric vehicles, etc. It is as dangerous as Dodge (the bikes) City down there.
This should cost tops a couple of million.
Based upon whose expertise?
This is becoming a not-in-my-lifetime project. Just put a shovel in the water and get on with it!
There’s a European movement called The “Architectural Uprising: A people’s movement against the continued uglification of our cities.” We need a branch here. This sort of building is exactly what people are rebelling against.
For those who think the design looks “light and airy” – you’re being fooled by the prettified rendering. You have to imagine it a year down the line covered in New York soot and bird poop. Modern architecture is notoriously for aging badly.
Almost everyone in the neighborhood would prefer a building that matches the other structures in the park. Why is that so hard?
I’ve sent your comment to Architectural Uprising. They know people in New York. Maybe they’ll get involved?
The Marina is an historic structure with a strong aesthetic. Why does the design ignore that? Plates of glass making a rectangular box do not “look like sails.”
Why can’t the office be a boat or barge?
Re the comments on problems with the rest of the park — yes! But it all deserves to be done.
Huge improvement in the building, if you have to have one. Good presentation in the link. Seems workable, given the constraints. Having a kind of sail shaped pattern in the building helps. My only question- has the enormous expansion of boat moorings/berths always been planned? Looks like intention is to go from a few local piers to LaGuardia on Hudson…
[…] park, and how much the building would interfere with views of the river. As West Side Rag reported last week, the latest plan for the structure is smaller and has a facade with more exposed glass. The new […]