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Rendering: Garrison Architects via Architizer
When Sandy blew through last October, familiar beach facilities like lifeguard stations and changing rooms were destroyed. Now 7 months later, area beaches are racing to replace them before the Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the summer season.

Rendering: Garrison Architects via Gizmodo
Manufactured in Pennsylvania, 37 modular, steel-framed stations will be placed on 15 sites in Rockaway Beach, Queens, Coney Island and Midland beaches in Brooklyn, and Wolfe’s Pond Park and Cedar Grove, Staten Island.
The galvanized steel modules can be configured into lifeguard stations, comfort stations and offices for operations. They will be elevated to FEMA’s storm standards, with ramps and stairs providing access to the beach and the boardwalk.
From Architizer: Garrison Architects and the New York City government are coming to the rescue with a series of modular beach facilities to be deployed around May 25. The pavilions, 37 in total, are being manufactured in Pennsylvania and will be delivered as single pieces to their respective sites. Conforming in size to interstate trucking limits, the pavilions will house comfort stations, lifeguard stations, and offices for Parks Enforcement Patrol and Maintainence and Operations Staff.
Built on pre-installed concrete piers, the pavilions will sit at or above FEMA’s revised Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFEs). This in addition to the selected material palette will ensure the pavilions’ resistence to future storms.
by Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee
Last October, Super storm Sandy swept through our neighborhoods flooding reaching far beyond the anticipated 100-year flood maps.

Photo: ©Mitch Waxman / NewtownPentacle.com
Post-Sandy, Working Harbor Committee has designed a new series of tours that focus on potential ideas and solutions from government agencies, private industry, think tanks and universities and experts from a variety of disciplines.
On Tuesday 21 May, we launch our inaugural Beyond Sandy Hidden Harbor Tour® that will cruise our harbor from Hoboken to the Verrazano Bridge and includes the Brooklyn waterfront, Staten Island’s Kill Van Kull, New Jersey, Liberty & Ellis Islands and more.
*Click for Tickets*
Tuesday – 21 May: High Seas on the Inner Harbor:
From Wall Street to Snug Harbor
Our expert speakers will discuss proposals for massive sea gates and beach dunes to hold back surge waters. Wetlands restoration and oyster reefs could help to soften the hard edges of our shorelines to combat sea-level rise. Learn what zone modifications are being implemented for flood resistance and what methods are being devised for better clean-up of contaminants in a flood.
Special Guest Speakers:

Photo: Via Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance
Lucy Ambrosino
Manager of Outreach for the Port Commerce Department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Photo: Via PhilipOrton.com
Philip Orton
Research Scientist, Stevens Institute of Technology
Photo: Via CoroNY
Jill Eisenhard
Founder & Executive Director of the Red Hook Initiative
by Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee
The City plans to demolish the sludge storage tank on Commercial and Dupont Streets in Greenpoint, near the mouth of Newtown Creek. The DEP is in the process of constructing a new loading dock next to the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant to give their sludge vessels direct access to the plant. Dredging will have to take place in Newtown Creek and Whale Creek to depths ranging from 9 feet to 13 feet.

“East River Sludge Loading Facility” – NYC DEP Presentation, East River Sludge Storage Tank Removal. Via GWAPP
From The Brooklyn Paper: The plan is to dredge as deep as nine feet in some spots of the creek between the East River and Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant at Provost Street near Greenpoint Avenue, and as deep as 13 feet in Whale Creek, an inlet just past the Pulaski Bridge that will give boats direct access to the plant. There, the city will build a new loading dock and two new vessels to hold the nasty fluid. Those depths will allow the boats to travel beneath drawbridge during low tide without having to raise it.

Photo: ©Mitch Waxman/NewtownPentacle.com
And even though the Newtown Creek is a federal Superfund site that needs a serious clean-up, the city claims that the sediment is scoops from its banks is not toxic according to sediment sampling the city ordered in 2009.
Some Creek advocates agreed that work is necessary, but are still worried about what will happen with the polluted silt that is brought up. “Any kind of dredging is a concern,” said Kate Zidar, executive director of the Newtown Creek Alliance. “If the sediment has high levels of contamination, we need to dispose of them appropriately.”
But city officials said the dredging would not adversely affect the environment because shovels wouldn’t go too deep.

Photo: ©Mitch Waxman/NewtownPentacle.com
“Everyone is concerned, because this is a Superfund site,” said Christine Holowacz, a spokeswoman for the city-run plant. “But they’re not going to go very far down.” Holowacz said more testing is needed to determine how the sediment will be disposed.
The move will allow the city to tear down a massive concrete sludge tank that looms over prime East River parkland at DuPont and Commercial streets. For years, wastewater sludge has poured from the plant through a pipe under several blocks of Greenpoint in to the tank…

Photo: ©Mitch Waxman/NewtownPentacle.com
…The dredging is tentatively slated for either spring or fall of 2013 — there is a moratorium on dredging in the creek during the summer — and the sludge tank on the East River should be demolished sometime in the first part of 2014. The dredging work could go on 24 hours a day, according to the city.
See the creek before the landscape changes on our upcoming tour. Hidden Harbor Tours®: Newtown Creek tour with Mitch Waxman.
Join us on Sunday 26 May, at 10 a.m. (sharp) for a three hour tour of the Newtown Creek on a comfortatble NY Water Taxi leaving from Pier 17 South Street Seaport.
Tickets $59. Limited seating available, get your tickets today.
by Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee
Tour season is here! We have been working on a slew of new tours for you this season. On Sunday, 26th of May, Working Harbor Committee presents the Hidden Harbor Newtown Creek Tour with Mitch Waxman, WHC’s official photographer and Newtown Creek Alliance Historian. Mitch has written all about it in his blog post below. See incredible things, learn new facts, explore the heart of the industrial revolution. Join us on a comfortable NY Water Taxi for our 3-hour narrated tour of Newtown Creek. Come be amazed!
On Sunday -the 26th of May- the Working Harbor Committee is producing and offering a boat tour of the Newtown Creek for any interested parties to attend. A special emphasis on the waterway’s storied history and maritime legacy will be made.
I’m going to be doing the history part, speaking in my capacity as the Newtown Creek Alliance Historian, and am tasked with highlighting the various points of interest encountered along the route. Anticipated to be some three hours in length, this boat tour will be delving some three miles inland, proceeding to the Metropolitan Avenue Bridge crossing English Kills in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
The Maritime History of Newtown Creek is one largely forgotten in these decadent times, but even now an odd tugboat and barge might be spied making their way down the waterway on any given day. Property owners were considered to have been blessed by some of the finest industrial bulkheads in the world a mere century ago, yet many of the businesses based along the Creek today ignore this invaluable resource, allowing their waterfront property to decay and decline.
Nevertheless, a staggering amount of maritime traffic is still observed here, and towing companies such as Reinauer, K-Sea, DonJon, and Poling and Cutler are regular visitors.
Vast operations will be witnessed by those onboard, many of which are involved in the scrap metal and recyclables trade. Responsible for an enormous amount of cross harbor shipping, companies such as SimsMetal are heavily reliant on the maritime trades for their economic success.
Not all that long ago, Newtown Creek carried a greater tonnage of cargo than the entire Mississippi River.
An active and thriving industrial zone in the center of New York City, from the water one can truly grasp the sheer scale of Newtown Creek’s busy waterfront. Normally hidden by high fences and obscured by street facing structures, the intensity of the Newtown Creek is laid bare before the admiring gaze of first time visitor and veteran urban explorer alike.
A tributary of the estuarine East River, Newtown Creek extends some 3.8 miles from its junction with the more familiar waterway, and provides demarcation for the currently undefended border of much of Brooklyn and Queens. Named to the Federal Superfund list, the Creek suffers from a history of environmental degradation and municipal neglect.
An era of great change is upon the Newtown Creek, and this trip will be one of your last chances to see it in its current form.
We will see four moveable bridges, and this year will be your last chance to see the static Kosciuszko Bridge as the NYS DOT has indicated that construction on its replacement will begin as early as the Fall of 2013.
Along it’s banks, great fortunes have risen.
Amongst others- Peter Cooper (BO Railroad, Canton Iron, and Cooper Union), Charles Pratt (Astral Oil, and Pratt University), and ultimately John D. Rockefeller (Standard Oil)- all grew richer than the dreams of avarice in this place. Alongside them, the darkest mills of the industrial revolution- rendering plants, yeast distilleries, bone blackers, and acid factories provided tens of thousands of jobs to the immigrant populations of Brooklyn and Queens. Today- National Grid, BP, Amoco, ExxonMobil, and a host of other multinational companies still maintain an enormous investment in this valuable industrial canal.
Upcoming tour: Hidden Harbor Tours: Newtown Creek tour with Mitch Waxman.
On May 26th, Mitch shares his unique point of view and deep understanding of the past, present and future conditions of the Newtown Creek as the narrator and expedition leader for this years’ Hidden Harbor Tours: Newtown Creek tour with Mitch Waxman.
Our NY Water Taxi leaves from South Street Seaport at 10 a.m. (sharp) for a three hour tour of the Newtown Creek. From the East River we’ll move into the Newtown Creek where we’ll explore explore vast amounts of maritime infrastructure, see many movable bridges and discover the very heart of the Hidden Harbor.
Limited seating available, get your tickets today.
Tickets $59, trip leaves Pier 17 at South Street Seaport at 10a.m. sharp.
We will be traveling in a comfortable NY Water Taxi vessel with indoor and outdoor seating. There will be refreshments and snacks available for purchase at the bar.
For a full listing and schedule of tours and events, click here
reblogged by Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee via Mitch Waxman, Newtown Pentacle
Long Island City’s waterfront is getting a weekend flea market this summer. The new 24,000 square foot outdoor marketplace located directly across from the Pepsi sign, will open June 15 and aims to have over 60 vendors plying local food, collectibles, sweet treats, arts & crafts and more.
The Flea isn’t the only market LIC can look forward to as the weather warms. Two new Saturday greenmarkets will open near 48th Avenue and Vernon Blvd. in coming weeks.
From the Queens Courier: “It’s so exciting to think that this parking lot will be transformed into an oasis of food and art and creativity that will bring so much life to this particular part of our great neighborhood,” said Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer. “This is a place that everyone wants to move to, everyone wants to live here, everyone wants to do business in Long Island City.”
The market will be accessible by the 7, E, M and G subway lines, the East River Ferry and by a parking garage that will conveniently be opening across the street. The Long Island City East River Ferry stop is the first destination for travelers coming from Midtown Manhattan. To provide visitors with an easy option to get to the market, LIC FLEA will provide a free bus service running from the ferry stop to the lot every Saturday and Sunday.

Manducatis Rustica will feature their own specialty olive oils. Photo via Queens Courier
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The new venue is looking for local artisans and vendors to participate. You can apply for a space at www.LICFLEA.com and get updates via their facebook page Facebook.com/LICFLEA or twitter feed @LICFLEA.
From the Fleamarket Zone: “We are looking for vendors and we want a diverse offering of merchandise,” says market owner, Josh Schneps. “We want to help people build their businesses.” Booth fees start at $150 per day, with 8 foot by 8 foot and 10 foot by 10 foot spaces available. The venue will host around 60 sellers, and vendors interested in renting spaces can visit the market’s website and fill out an online application.
Several Long Island City businesses are already booked for the market, Schneps notes. These include Malu LIC, a maker of homemade ice cream and chocolate treats, Italian eatery Manducatis Rustica and Matted LIC, a boutique that showcases local artists, and sells frames and giftware.
by Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee

East River Park at Pier 42. Rendering via The Lo-Down.com
Starting this May, we will have a new park by the water to enjoy. State Senator Daniel Squadron, announced on his website that funds have been secured for the redevelopment of Pier 42. This addition will add another section to the continuous “green ribbon” around Lower Manhattan.
From the website of State Senator Daniel Squadron: NEW YORK — Today, State Senator Daniel Squadron, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation announced that a section of the new waterfront park at Pier 42 on the Lower East Side will open to the public for interim recreational use on May 4, 2013, as the planning for the redevelopment of the pier into a full park proceeds.

Pier 42, at the end of Montgomery Street. Photo: The Lo-Down.com
Pier 42, currently consists of an abandoned warehouse and a parking lot. Redeveloping the pier into a public green space will connect the East and West Sides with a continuous green ribbon around Lower Manhattan, providing the Lower East Side and Chinatown with open space. This first phase (the northern section) will consist of upgrading about a third of the total project allowing communities to use the area while designs and planning continue for the remainder.
From the website of State Senator Daniel Squadron: On May 4th, the public will, for the first time, be able to visit Pier 42 as the northern section between the greenway and the waterfront opens for interim use. The space will be resurfaced ahead of the opening, picnic tables will be installed for public use, and a connection to East River Park (which is just north of Pier 42) will be created so that visitors can take advantage of the entire East River waterfront.
Pier 42, North RiverPhoto courtesy of NYPL Digital Gallery
A community day is also planned for May 4, sponsored by the Lower East Side Waterfront Alliance and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in partnership with Senator Squadron and the Parks Department. The community day will kick off “Paths to Pier 42,” a series of art, educational, and design installations along the East River waterfront throughout the summer of 2013.
State Senator Daniel Squadron said, “In only a few short months, families will be able to enjoy a picnic on the pier or a walk along the waterfront. This interim recreational use on Pier 42 is a big step forward as we build the real, world-class waterfront park for which we’ve long fought and complete a Harbor Park — a central park for the center of our city. And this is only the beginning. Our community planning process will continue so that residents can make their voices heard on Pier 42′s final design. Thank you to the Parks Department and the City, Senator Schumer, CB3, Hester Street Collaborative, the Lower East Side Waterfront Alliance, and LMCC for partnering to make interim use and an incredible Pier 42 waterfront park a reality.” Read more here…
by Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee

























