Designs sought for two new waterfront parks in Inwood
Inwood Hill Park via Flickr
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration is seeking ideas for two new waterfront parks in Inwood, as first reported by Curbed. The city’s Economic Development Corporation released a request for proposals on Monday for a consultant or team to design a pair of parks along the Harlem River in the Manhattan neighborhood. The plan falls under the Inwood rezoning, which was approved last August and intends to deliver $200 million in public investments. During the process, stakeholders pushed for new open space and upgraded parks to be included in the rezoning, as the waterfront remains inaccessible to many in the community.
“Parks are not a luxury item, they are a part of a quality life,” City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez said in a press release. “For too long this portion of my district has been missing the access it deserves.”
The two new parks will be located at North Cove and Academy Street. Currently, the city is investing $41 million to build a new esplanade at Academy Street between 10th Avenue and the Harlem River, which will add two acres of green space and connect to the Harlem River Greenway. It will be known as the Sherman Creek Malécon.
The city is investing $9 million to restore the North Cove as a natural resource and create open space on spots formerly designated for parking. The investment is also part of the city’s $250 million plan to close the gaps in the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, a 32-mile walking and biking path around the borough.
The proposals should feature designs for both esplanades and passive recreation areas, like picnicking and barbecuing, as well as for more active spots for biking, kayaking, and fishing. Plus, according to the city, the project will include a “safer connection for pedestrians and cyclists to the parks and greenway to the south.”
Submissions for the project are due no later than 4 p.m. on March 14. After a consultant is selected, the EDC and NYC Parks will work with the community on the design in late 2019 with the project wrapping up in 2022. An information session is being held on Feb. 19; more information on the RFP can be found here and questions should be directed to inwooddesignrfp@edc.nyc.
“Releasing this RFP is an exciting milestone toward creating new open space along the Harlem River,” NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver said. “By formalizing this informal open space at North Cove and transforming Academy Street into a malecón, we will advance longstanding community desires through the Inwood NYC Plan.”
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