New York’s Battery Park City will soon undergo a series of major resiliency projects that will completely transform the Lower Manhattan coast as the threats of storm surge and sea level rise loom. 

Starting in September, after Labor Day, the first phase of the multibillion-dollar Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) Project, led by Battery Park City Authority, is set to break ground. Called the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project (SBPCR), the endeavor will see the creation of a continuous flood barrier from the Museum of Jewish Heritage, through Wagner Park, across Pier A Plaza, and along the northern border of the Historic Battery to an elevated point near Bowling Green Plaza. 

The project is expected to last two years and, when complete, will feature expansive lawns and gardens; education, community, dining, and programming spaces; public restrooms; and universal access. The project has an estimated cost of $221 million.

Phase two, the North & West Battery Park City Resiliency Project, will establish a barrier spanning the neighborhood’s northern and western boundaries, which includes one of Battery Park City’s most vulnerable points for storm surge inundation and flooding. This portion of the LMCR Project is expected to cost $630 million and is expected to complete in 2026. 

AECOM is working as lead architect and engineer for the 3.5-mile-long LMCR Project. As part of the greater LMCR plan, these Battery Park City resiliency projects are joined by The Battery Coastal Resilience, Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Coastal Resilience, and the Seaport Coastal Resilience projects. Additionally, New York City released the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan, another component of the LMCR Project, which lays out a framework for flood defense infrastructure across nearly a mile of Lower Manhattan.