Renderings revealed for Manhattan’s first public ‘beach’

The Hudson River Park Trust unveiled on Wednesday a preliminary concept for its plan to bring a public beach to Manhattan. The Meatpacking District site, known as the Gansevoort Peninsula, measures about 5.5 acres on the waterfront and formerly served as a parking lot for the city’s sanitation department. The new park will feature a beach area with kayak access, a sports field, a salt marsh, and areas to picnic and lounge.

In January, the Hudson River Park Trust hired James Corner Field Operations (the firm behind the High Line and Domino Park) to design the public park at the western end of Little West 12th Street and what’s left of 13th Avenue.

According to the trust, the new park would be the largest single green space in Hudson River Park, which stretches four miles. The design includes both recreational and passive areas, as well as waterfront access. But swimming will most likely not be viable in Manhattan’s polluted Hudson River.

“The driving inspiration behind this concept is the idea of creating habitat that links back to the estuary and to connect people to the river and local wildlife,” Madelyn Wils, the president and CEO of the Hudson River Park Trust, said in a statement. “We look forward to finalizing the design, working with the community, and getting the project underway.”

While the designs are preliminary, the trust expects construction to take 18 months beginning late next year and completed around 2022. Hudson River Park currently has $900 million in capital projects underway, like the Barry Diller-funded Pier 55 and a commercial pier Pier 57 developed by RXR Realty and Youngwoo & Associates.

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Renderings by James Corner Field Operations, courtesy of the Hudson River Park Trust