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CBS News
01-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
For 4th straight year, part of the East River esplanade remains shut due to construction
Manhattan residents remain upset they can't access part of the East River Esplanade Manhattan residents remain upset they can't access part of the East River Esplanade Manhattan residents remain upset they can't access part of the East River Esplanade Manhattan residents are upset that, for the fourth summer in a row, they can't access part of the East River esplanade. Construction delays at a nearby hospital continue to block the path from 70th to 78th Streets. In March, 2022, construction began on the Hospital for Special Surgery's Kellen tower. A locked gate blocks access to the esplanade from 70th-78th Streets for the fourth summer straight, interrupting the continuous park along the water. "There doesn't seem to be any end in sight" The reopening of the esplanade keeps getting pushed back. It was originally set to reopen last summer. "We don't want it to be a fifth, and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight," said Friends of East River Esplanade chair Jennifer Ratner. "Last year, they told us this year. You know, this year they're saying, 'oh well, we'll have another community board meeting in October.'" CBS News New York Ratner said runners, walkers and cyclists must detour onto the streets of the city, or turn around at the gate. So Friends of the East River Esplanade is working on an alternative with local leaders. "A safe and permanent, or semipermanent, like a pontoon, to make a detour that stays on the waterfront," Ratner said. The group started a petition to stop the extended closures, and hundreds signed. "The timeline reflects the complexity" CBS News New York CBS News New York reached out to the Hospital for Special Surgery to learn more. "The timeline reflects the complexity of restoring public waterfront infrastructure," HSS said in a statement. "In addition to our privately funded restoration, we are also working around new challenges like sinkholes." HSS added the reopening will take place in phases, and is a coordinated effort between the Parks Department, Department of Transportation, and Con Edison. "You come here to relax" The esplanade between 70th-76th should be completed by March, 2026. The stretch from 76th-78th depends on the progress of the Parks Department. "Rebuilding the East River Esplanade is a top priority. We are undertaking a multi-phase rehabilitation project to transform this deteriorating waterfront into a resilient, revitalized public space," said NYC Parks Borough Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. "By investing in these critical infrastructure repairs today, we're ensuring that New Yorkers can safely enjoy the esplanade for years to come." Upper East Side resident George de Hoios loves the beautiful views and people along the esplanade. "You come here to relax," de Hoios said. "You don't have to cut in the traffic, into the stress." Until the work is completed, Rachel Katz says she'll take the detour in stride and is looking forward to when the locked gate is gone. "That would be a dream. That would be the best," Katz said.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
East River path in Manhattan faces detour
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — Visitors and neighbors want to know what's happening to a well-known pathway in Manhattan along the East River. A detour redirects pedestrians and cyclists when they arrive at an area between East 71st and 78th streets. People have to travel seven blocks on York Avenue. It has been in place for about four years. More Local News Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is building a new tower over the FDR Drive at the point of closure. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation also has to repair sinkholes in the area. Friends of the East River Esplanade have been advocating for two decades to bring attention and improvements to the entire stretch. Jennifer Ratner founded the group, and she wants more from the hospital and city. 'It makes me really angry when I see this. Waterfront parks are contiguous like the West Side and Brooklyn. This has cut it off for four springs and summers. I've asked them many times to do something at the entrance. At night, it's scary,' Ratner said. The parks department is creating new signs to navigate the detour. 'We remain committed to growing greenways: through our Vital Parks for All plan, there is an investment of more than $1 billion by Parks and City agency partners to meet the growing demand for biking and walking connections that link parks to one another and to business districts, improving livability, health, and the environment in disadvantaged communities across the five boroughs,' wrote the spokesperson in an email to PIX11 News. HSS expects to finish construction this fall and open the new facility for patients in the first half of 2026. 'In conjunction with the construction of the Kellen Tower, HSS is planning a beautification project of the East River Esplanade from 72nd to 78th streets, including new pavers, landscaping, and an area for exercise equipment,' wrote Melissa Kiefer, HSS vice president for Project Development, Planning, Design, and Construction. HSS work on the esplanade is scheduled to begin this summer and to be completed in spring of 2026, 'pending the progress of the Parks project that has overlapping areas of improvement work,' Kiefer added. Ratner wants to see improvements this year. 'HSS used the esplanade for free, and it needs to do the work. Parks has said it would do infrastructure work for years, but hasn't. Signage is not enough,' Ratner said. The elevated path runs in sections from Lower Manhattan to Harlem. In 2023, a major new area of parkland opened in Midtown. Parts of the uptown section have been closed for repairs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
