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It's always exciting when we hear about new public parks opening in this concrete jungle of ours, especially if they take up residence in previously underutilized areas. Case in point: the new 80,000-square-foot rooftop park at Hudson River Park's Pier 57, the historic pier that has recently been restored and is now also home to a food hall.
Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams jointly announced the opening of the two-acre rooftop park yesterday, which will be open to the general public from 7am to 10pm all year round. The site will also serve as an outdoor screening location for the Tribeca Festival starting this year. According to an official press release, other amenities will launch to the public in the fall.
The redevelopment of Pier 57 also includes 350,000 square feet of commercial office space for Google—the company functions as the anchor tenant on premise—and the relocated original City Winery.
"By bringing workers back to the office and creating new green space all New Yorkers can enjoy, this project is helping revitalize our city," Adams said in an official statement. "We are reimagining our communities, so everyone benefits from our prosperity. And with partnerships like this one between the city, the state, and our nonprofit and private sector partners, we are showing New York how to 'Get Stuff Done' and do it together."
Pier 57, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built back in 1952 and opened two years later as the terminal for Grace Line, which transported passengers from New York to Seattle via Panama Canal. In 1969, the site morphed into the Hudson Pier Depot for the New York City Transit Authority until it closed in 2003. It's been shuttered ever since—which makes the establishment of the space as a new destination for urban greenery and commercial endeavors that much more exciting.
"New Yorkers cherish Hudson River Park as their main green space, backyard, and recreation area. Completing the park and seeing rehabilitated piers become park spaces that residents can use in their communities is fundamental to the long history and goals of Hudson River Park," said assembly member Deborah J. Click in an official statement. "I am excited to see Pier 57’s rooftop open space begin to welcome the public as this multi-use pier nears completion. Urban parks have a rare opportunity and responsibility to utilize existing buildings and infrastructure to create open public spaces that are unique and useful."
Check out some photos of the new destination right here:
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