East Harlem Gets $101M To Close Greenway Gap

EAST HARLEM, NY — New York City will dedicate $101 million to close a seven-block gap in an East Harlem stretch of the East River Esplanade by 2023, city officials announced Monday.

A seven-acre park featuring riverfront pedestrian and bike pathways will be constructed between East 125th and East 132nd streets, filling in a missing portion of the East River Esplanade, Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said Monday.

"This investment in the East Harlem Greenway gap means a brand new waterfront park for neighborhood kids and residents, and gets us closer to a decades-long goal of completing the amazing Manhattan Greenway. New York is a city of parks and communities, and our focus is improving both," de Blasio said in a statement.

The funding for the East River Esplanade expansion comes in two parts, city officials said Monday. An existing $18 million investment will be supplemented by an $83 million investment made as part of a recently-passed upzoning of East Harlem.

The city is also committing $15 million toward repairs on an existing segment of the East River Esplanade that stretches from East 96th to 125th streets.

"The East River Esplanade is a major public open space asset that offers wonderful views and a chance to relax for New Yorkers up and down the east side of Manhattan," Mark-Viverito said in a statement. "As El Barrio/East Harlem neighborhoods have witnessed, however, part of this greenway has been neglected for far too long. That’s why the Council prioritized investing in this important open space as part of the recent East Harlem Rezoning."

Construction on the greenway extension is expected to begin after a current project to repair parts of the Harlem River Drive ends in 2020, officials said. The city Parks Department has already begun soliciting community outreach for the new park and will work with the city Economic Development Corporation on the design, environmental review and permitting processes, officials said.

The project is expected to be complete by 2023, officials said.

Photo courtesy New York City Mayor's Office