March Parks Committee Report for Manhattan CB3
A floating pool in the East River and an operator for long-shuttered public restrooms in the Allen Street Malls are coming soon!
Author’s note: Tal and I serve on the Parks Committee of Manhattan Community Board 3 (CB3) together. I write the newsletter Friends of New York City Abundance. The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent those of Manhattan CB3.
Parks Manager Updates
Parks operations are moving forward as they transition out of the winter season.
Maintenance & Safety: Parks is currently removing a downed tree near Broome and Grant Streets.
Rules Enforcement and monitoring:
There is active discussion regarding a new Bike Patrol to better monitor the area from East River Park to Pier 42.
At Sarah D. Roosevelt Park, Parks is cracking down on unauthorized bikes (including Amazon cargo bikes) riding through the Rivington Transverse.
Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) will use plainclothes officers to monitor Captain Jacob Joseph Park for illegal dumping, which carries a $1,000 fine.
Community Involvement: A recent cleanup at Tompkins Square Park saw 30 volunteers participating.
Questions for the Parks Manager
Q: Can we extend park hours? Currently, some parks close at 6:00 PM despite the extra daylight.
A: Between May and September, staff levels typically allow for closing times to be extended to 8:00 PM.
Q: Can we trim at-risk trees at Sarah D. Roosevelt Park?
Public Speaker Comments
Esther Yan, who runs an after-school program, complained that a community playground is consistently locked. She asked about why children in her program cannot play basketball at the park when school is not in session.
Committee response: please email the Community Board 3 office. The playground should not be always closed.
Valenteena Jones thanked Parks leadership for their quick response in checking the functionality of East River Park bathrooms
Tommy Road complained that Parks is the only Community Board 3 committee that doesn’t host meetings virtually or on livestream. Also, complained that East River park is now overrun by dogs. To quote one of his neighbors, “the lawns are covered in poo and pee” especially near the amphitheater. Why does the committee not follow up on resident complaints?
Committee response: please direct park complaints to the Parks Department. We do not have budget for virtual meetings. But next month, we are hoping this building (BRC’s Senior Center on 30 Delancey St) gets upgraded with cameras for virtual meetings.
RFP for the Development, Operation, and Maintenance of a Food Service Concession between Delancey Street and Rivington Street at the Allen Street Malls
The long-shuttered bathroom at the Allen Street Malls (between Delancey and Rivington) has been discussed in past meetings. At December’s meeting, rule changes were discussed to enable NYC Parks to take over the space from the Department of Transportation (DOT). This meeting discussed a Request for Proposal (RFP) notice sent out on January 2nd to find an organization to maintain the public bathroom as part of a food stand (“concession”).
The RFP is a 25-year term for a food service concession. It will include renovations and accessibility upgrades to the space.
Questions about the Allen Street Malls RFP
Q: What if the concessionaire quits?
A: That is a breach of contract. Practically speaking, we would simply issue a new RFP.
Q: Do you have estimate on renovation cost?
A: No. But, the cost of bringing the building up to code will be substantial.
Q: Does this include outdoor space?
A: Yes, that is a possibility. It depends on the bid. Bids do not have to utilize all of the mall space up to Rivington, but they can.
Q: What is the selection criteria for selecting a winning bid?
A: To clarify, this not a request for bids, just proposals. RFPs get scored on multiple criteria including operator experience, pricing, the amount of capital improvements investments, design, and sustainability within the design.
Q: Could members of the public give feedback on the RFP submissions?
A: No, selection is a closed, competitive process to prevent collusion.
Q: When will the bathroom be open?
A: The bathrooms should be open during concession operating hours (hours may vary by proposal)
Q: What’s the current state of the ULURP discussed during the December committee meeting?
A: City Council had a hearing about it recently. We are operating under the assumption it will pass.
Q: What is the timeline here?
A: We’d like to issue the RFP next month. The RFP is usually out for 8-12 weeks. Then, it takes another 2-3 months to a make selection. Then we need to negotiate a contract. And then the CB would weigh in again.
Q: Have any parts of the building been deemed historical?
A: No, it is not a historical landmark.
Q: Will there be bollards to protect visitors to the space given the high amount of vehicle traffic nearby?
A: Yes, that is part of the RFP.
+ POOL: Update on Construction Timeline and Public Programming
It is a non-profit that is building a pool that will temporarily float on the East River. The group received attention in recent years for their idea to put a plus-shaped pool in the East River.
In addition to the pool, the organization hosts learn-to-swim programs for swimmers from low-income backgrounds. It also provides water treatment education and water quality data collection. Currently, it has five classes running. They are free and open to the public but require registration.
This pool is part of a Governor Kathy Hochul agenda item.
They plan to have a full summer of testing this year and then open next year, in 2027.
Updates on the pool from + POOL:
The floating platform has been constructed. Currently, there is a barge in the East River helping the organization measure the distance between the riverbed mud and the bedrock beneath it.
The floating pool will have to receive a series of approvals from federal, state, and local authorities like the Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard, NYC Parks, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for power lines.
The NYC Department of Health (NYCDOH) in particular has an extensive six-phase testing protocol.
A major financial partner for the pool is the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
NYCDOH Presentation on the Pier 35 Pool
Responsibilities of the NYCDOH include inspecting city beaches and pools. They also investigate drowning and diseases related to bodies of water.
NYCDOH will be evaluating the + POOL’s conceptual design and feasibility this summer
Within Community District 3, there are 6 public pools (4 pools, 2 wading pools). There are also 16 private pools.
+ POOL’s project differs from other city pools in a substantial ways:
It uses non-potable water (all other pools use tap water)
It is vulnerable to nearby sewer runoff after a storm
It does not use chlorine, unlike all other city pools
Key questions NYCDOH wants to answer includes: what water capacity should the pool have? How many swimmers can it accommodate, and does that fluctuate throughout the day? How will necessary chemicals be stored? Will lifeguards be able to handle the noise from the nearby subway? Will there be algae growth around the pool?
Questions for + POOL and the NYCDOH
Q: What is the expected season for the pool?
A: + POOL would like to have a six month season. The pool would be removed and stored during the off-season.
Q: What happens during a defecation event?
A: Swimmers would leave the pool and the issue cleaned out.
Q: Will there be salt in the pool water?
A: Yes, it is brackish water that is non-potable.
Q: What about wildlife that sneaks into the pool? Is there protocol for that?
A: The filtration system has been reviewed by environmental authorities (to handle sea cucumbers, fish, etc.)
Q: Will there be community hours? Pool needs to be more than free -- has to be equitable for the local community.
A: Yes, we are committed to matching Parks Pools hours. There will be surveys to understand community needs around swimming and educational use of the pool. Given the size of the pool, there will probably be 2 hour sessions for swimmers.
Q: So, how are you disinfecting the water if you aren’t using chlorine?
A: Mechanical filters allow us to eliminate bacteria. UV treatment get rid of viruses.
Q: Are we testing for heavy metals? We know there is arsenic in the land nearby so that may leech into the water.
A: We did initial testing in 2024 for a variety of items including heavy metals. Those results were shared with the Department of Health. There will be more testing once the pool is installed this summer.
East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) and Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Coastal Resiliency (BMCR) Updates
Asbestos abatement is ongoing near East 13th St and FDR Drive. During that process, materials are sealed in bags and trucked away. You may see workers wearing Tyvek suits completing this work, but it is nothing to be alarmed about.
The project team will have virtual events on March 17 and 24 with NYCHA Riis discussing overnight work happening nearby.
The tennis building is beginning to go up. The public restroom building will start being built in April.
For BMCR, flood protections for the NYCHA Smith Houses were discussed. They include a mix of flip-up gates and solid walls.
Questions about ESCR and BMCR
Q: The tennis courts in East River park flood whenever there is heavy rain. Are you all aware of this?
A: We will look into this.
So interesting to hear about the status of the + Pool! I remember reading about it a while ago, followed by silence... thanks for the updates!
> Photos from around and inside the shuttered bathroom at Allen Street Malls off Delancey
This is a vibe. No renovations needed imo
> The group received attention in recent years for their idea to put a plus-shaped pool in the East River.
No one asking the real questions here: the design appears to show a parallelagon, not a plus. We were hoodwinked!