STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While the proposed East Shore seawall that will run from Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach includes a promenade component, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday announced his plans to include a full-fledged promenade along the length of the seawall that he expects will be a tourist destination.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, heading up the project for the buried seawall, which includes building a levee and floodwall in Oakwood Beach, recently entered the design phase which is expected to take one year.
The current design calls for a 38-foot-wide boardwalk on top of the buried seawall from Fort Wadsworth to Midland Beach. It would replace the existing FDR Boardwalk and be several feet higher, as well as longer, extending from the current end at Seaview Avenue to Miller Field.
The extension would replace a paved promenade that's about 10 feet high.
From Miller Field through Oakwood Beach, a 17-foot-wide promenade would be on top of the seawall.
When the Advance asked Cuomo, who gave few details in his presentation at The Vanderbilt, how his proposal would differ from what the plan already includes, he said, "We don't think it's enough, I think it's too narrow. We're talking about a 30 or 40 foot promenade, we're talking about amenities along the promenade. A promenade is a tourism destination, it has amenities, there are food kiosks, there are benches, there are lookouts. There's all sorts of ideas that you can do."
He added, "It could be a tour of all the different cuisine that New York has to offer, it could be a tour of all the craft beers that New York has to offer. It could be a walking museum. It could be a lot of things. We don't want just a walkway for 7 miles, that frankly, is going to be a wasted opportunity."
A spokeswoman later told the Advance the multi-use promenade could "can support a range of recreational activities, including outdoor concerts, beer and food tastings, cultural festivals, nature walks, seaside carnivals, bike races, marathons and other running competitions, environmental education, and other events and community gatherings."
The cost of the project, expected to be completed in late 2022 -- originally 2021 -- has steadily increased from an estimated $579 million to the most recent $615 million estimate, making the federal government's share about $400 million; the state's share about $154 million; and the city's share about $62 million.)
Me, "It's all about building back what was once there. Robert Mosses destroyed a thriving beach community, that was as entertaining as Coney Island is, to Staten Island, and the CIty. With this Seawall, a lot of what was taken down can be brought back. You're talking about a once in a lifetime opportunity, to bring back something, or at least make something new that will be a part of the culture and life of Staten Island. Don't go overboard where the project gets to costly and is canceled but at the same time try and do something creative. The possibilities for this area, because of the protective seawall, and boardwalk, which will remake the area, are made even more impressive by Gov. Cuomo's plan to add a tourism destination aspect to it."
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