Just as New Yorkers' minds turn toward the waterfront for the season, the City Council has granted its official, unanimous approval to the proposed restoration-slash-makeover of Pier 57. Young Woo & Associates has been planning the pier's future since 2009, and has already set in motion some aspects of the new design, but today's City Council vote marks the official end of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure process required before the full plan can be put into action.
The idea is that Pier 57 will become a "cultural hub and creative center, integrating the arts, fashion, design, film, food," etc., in the words of a press release. There will also be 100,000+ square feet of public park space on the rooftop and next to the pier. And, of course, there will be repurposed shipping containers! (What pier makeover is complete without them?) Those shipping containers, called Incuboxes, will rent to retailers for about $3,000/month (with leasing to begin in the fall); the rest of the pier will contain larger stores, too. There will also be an amphitheater and a marketplace area decorated with old airplane fuselages. Like so:
It's an interesting feature?but does it compare to the fun Pier 57 goodies of old, like the Underwater Discovery Center or the much earlier Renaissance-inspired Leonardo plan? A moment of silence for those, and then, friends, onward.
· Pier 57 coverage [Curbed]
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