Riverside Park Boat Dock Destroyed During Sandy Reopens

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — City officials gathered last week to celebrate the reconstruction and reopening of the 79th Street Boat Basin A-Dock in Riverside Park.

Parks Department Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver was joined by Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, Community Board 7 Chair Elizabeth Caputo and Riverside Park Administer John Herrold during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the dock on Tuesday, according to a press release.

“Cutting the ribbon on the 79th Street Boat Basin A-Dock, returning one of New York’s favorite waterfront spaces to public use, is a great Hurricane Sandy recovery milestone,” said Silver in a statement, “Thanks to FEMA and Mayoral funding, A-Dock resumes as a popular destination for everything from active water recreation to ‘floating classroom’ vessels, and water safety events.”

The $6 reconstruction of the A-Dock was funded by money from FEMA and money allocated from Mayor Bill de Blasio's office, according to the press release. The dock, originally built in 1937, had undergone years of wear-and-tear before being destroyed in 2012 during Hurricane Sandy.

The new dock will feature structural improvement such as concrete-filled steel pilings with concrete and fiberglass piling caps instead of wooden pilings. For anyone wondering, pilings are those cylindrical vertical poles that the dock plans are attached to. The new dock will also feature new railings, gates, lights and power and water pedestals for boats, bike racks and seating, according to the press release.

“The A-Dock at the 79th Street Boat Basin is an Upper West Side mainstay, and I'm thrilled to be here to celebrate its reopening,” Rosenthal said in a statement. “With these improvements, the dock can continue to benefit the entire community. The long-term preservation and accessibility of our waterfront infrastructure is a task that requires constant attention, and today represents the culmination of much hard work.”

The A-Dock will be open to the public and features access to a floating kayak launch, a sailboat mooring field and visits from historic tallships and other educational vessels, according to the press release.

"Access to the Hudson River is in many ways the essence of Riverside Park. For 75 years, A-Dock took you beyond the bulkhead to experience being out over the water. Until Sandy knocked it out. Now it's back," park administrator John Herrold said in a statement.

Photo: Flickr user Shinya Suzuki via creative commons