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Are you ready to walk on water?
Pier 55, otherwise known as the island park Barry Diller is spearheading, has been officially sanctioned by the courts. The sponsors are now allowed to move forward with the preliminary construction of the park, driving nine piles into the riverbed which is also a breeding estuary, according to the Daily News.
The construction was initially blocked by the courts after the City Club tried to argue that "the decision to give away parkland to build an amphitheater and outdoor space is illegal."
In April, the courts decided against the City Club, saying the Hudson River Park Trust didn't need any other organization's permission to give the nonprofit which is building the park (and is funded by Diller and his wife Diane von Furstenburg), the land. But the City Club appealed and construction has been halted for a month—til now.
Now the $130 million, 2.7-acre park will undergo its first round of construction, on its way to housing rolling hills and three performance venues, including an amphitheater with space for 700 people. It will be built at 14th Street, with the land given by the trust for $1 per year for the next 20 years.
Here's to adding another waterfront park to the list in our concrete jungle!
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