At 126-years-old, Pier A could be doing worse—at least it has not totally fallen into the waters of the harbor like so many of its peers.
In its current state, Pier A, a historic landmark situated in Battery Park City, is somewhat of an eyesore, but the Battery Park City Authority is about to change all of that—for a price. The pier is about to undergo a serious makeover in a redevelopment project that will transform it into an oyster bar and catering hall by mid-2013.
In its younger days, the pier served as headquarters for the New York Harbor Police and Department of Docks and later on as an FDNY fireboat station and workshop; however, for over a decade now, Pier A has been slowly rotting away, helpless against the tides of change and not to mention, those of the Hudson River.
While it is obvious that the structure is struggling aboveground, divers have discovered that the same is true below the surface, reports DNAinfo. In recent efforts to restore Pier A, divers explored its supports only to discover a crumbling foundation that is in need of additional work, and money—$930,000 to be exact. It’s a good thing the BPCA recently increased the project’s budget from $30 billion to $36 billion; currently, there is just over $1 million to spare.
Interestingly, some of the pier’s support beams that need revamping do not date back to its original construction, but were previously “restored” in the 1990s by early contractors. Something tells me that a Band-Aid won’t be enough to cover such a gaping wound, at least not this time around.
realtestate@observer.com
