Former Con Ed Pier/Solow Development Site
The old Con Ed pier sits just east of the northbound FDR, jutting into the East River from 37th to 41st Street. Now otherwise left abandoned, it once was part of the iconic Con Ed power plant that formerly graced the East Side skyline for decades until the site was bought by Sheldon Solow to make room for large residential/commercial/retail development. Now the pier sits empty, taunting the open-space starved residents of East Midtown from behind a barbed wire fence as it crumbles into the river.
In 2008, the Municipal Art Society (MAS), sensing that a unique opportunity was underfoot, acted swiftly to coordinate three major projects being planned for the area; (1) the UN consolidation (2) the Solow private development, and (3) the rebuilding of the FDR Drive. MAS held a design charrette with some of the City’s top landscape architects that produced a world-class design for the site that included constructing an innovative deck structure over the FDR to provide much needed open space, as well as a waterfront esplanade and greenway. MAS rallied public support and partnered with local elected officials to champion the project. The NYC City Council even got so far as to vote to approve parts of the MAS plan.
The East River Greenway Initiative supports MAS’s vision for the East Side Waterfront Park. However, the planned park and waterfront access are currently in jeopardy. Solow’s development project along 1st Avenue is one of the many to be derailed by the bursting real estate bubble and recession that quickly followed. The status of Solow’s $10 million pledge that park advocates have long been relying on to help complete the park remains unclear. To make matters even worse, Solow was recently sued by Citibank for allegedly reneging on a construction loan in relation to the project.
As of today, the development still has not progressed past the empty hole in the ground phase. The pier remains under lock and key, abandoned on windy spit of land in the East River.
ACTION: Ensure that MAS’s vision for the site and its valuable open-space amenities are realized when something eventually gets built.
We are doing our level best to increase the awareness about this important issue. We will conduct some music events to drive more attention of the authorities and will continue to increase over voices until this issue gets resolved.