Hudson River pier could be transformed into Midtown green space under new state law

Midtown Manhattan’s Pier 76, a nearly 250,000-square-foot blacktop pier on the Hudson River, is set to become green space and possibly some commercial uses in the coming years, under a new state law that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed this week.

The law, which Hochul signed on Thursday, allows for new development on the pier that was formerly an NYPD tow pound at West 36th Street. At least half of the pier would have to be redesigned as park space, while any commercial uses would be restricted to east of Hudson River Park’s bulkhead, or seawall , according to the legislation .

Those uses could include “office development, amusement rides and tourist attractions, facilities for waterborne transportation activities and floating restaurants,” a memo on the bill states. But the Hudson River Park Trust, which stewards the four-mile-long riverfront park off the West Side Highway, would have the power to make up to 100% of the pier green space, and parking garages would not be permitted.

The legislation, which was sponsored by West Side Democratic state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Tony Simone , also lays out a process for the nearby West 30th Street heliport to be relocated if the trust issues a request for proposals for that site. A task force consisting of members appointed by officials and the trust would get to shape the request.

"Our new law creates a structure for an RFP that will provide funding for the completion of Hudson River Park, new green space for the West Side community, and charts a path forward to free up parkland that has been compromised for decades by the presence of the helipad,” the two lawmakers said in a joint statement on Thursday night. "The new vision of Pier 76 is one of a green space for the entire community to enjoy, while simultaneously providing the revenue needed to bring the pier to the beautiful standards that New York City is accustomed to.”

Pier 76 requires up to $150 million in near-term repairs and reconstruction so that it does not fall out of public use, according to the bill memo. Hochul’s signing of the law comes after a previous task force convened by the Hudson River Park Trust explored options for the pier’s future last year, with input from local community boards and elected officials.

Complaints about helicopter noise in the city have also been on the rise, according to a recent Gothamist analysis that found a 17-fold spike in related 311 reports over the past five years. The riverside helipad at West 30th Street, which is overseen by the park trust, is a popular spot for ferrying passengers around the region, including to John F. Kennedy International Airport and the Hamptons.