The New York City Economic Development Corp. has issued a request for proposals to conduct a feasibility study for flood protection of Superstorm Sandy-damaged neighborhoods adjacent to Brooklyn’s Coney Island Creek. Also under consideration are waterfront access and quality improvements to these communities, as well as stormwater management and economic development, the agency said in a May 16 announcement.
The feasibility study, which NYCEDC will manage on behalf of the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency, is scheduled to commence this fall and evaluate a tidal barrier and wetlands concept that the city put in place after the October 2012 superstorm. The initiative is one of 257 under the city’s A Stronger, More Resilient New York resiliency plan that aims to provide an “unprecedented level of coastal risk reduction for some of the most vulnerable and low-lying neighborhoods in the city,” NYCEDC says.
“New York City’s 520 miles of shoreline are critical to our economic development strategy, and we must continue to do everything we can to strengthen the important connection between local communities and the waterfront,” says Kyle Kimball, NYCEDC president Kyle Kimball.
“The study will also identify opportunities for early investments that could provide near-term flood protection with already available funds, while not precluding further action,” NYCEDC says.
