Plans to Open Public Beach in Manhattan Chug Along

Manhattan might be an island surrounded by water, but don’t look for the beach. At least, not yet anyway.

Plans are moving forward to bring a public beach to the west side of Manhattan near the Meatpacking District, famed for its restaurants and nightclubs.

The Hudson River Park Trust on Wednesday unveiled renderings for the proposed 5.5-acre park, which will include the beach along the Hudson River, kayak access, a sports field and a picnic area.

Alas, while the plan is certainly ambitious and potentially rewarding for both locals and tourists alike, there likely will be no swimming—the Hudson River has unacceptable levels of bacteria.

Nonetheless, the plans are moving ahead.

“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.”

The trust expects construction to take 18 months beginning late next year and completed around 2022. The group previously approved a proposal for the design by James Corner Field Operations, the same firm that constructed the wildly popular High Line in Manhattan and Brooklyn’s Domino Park.

Source: Travel Pulse