City Officials Hope For July 1 Opening Of Pier C Park

It's been three years in the making and it's about two years past the deadline, but Pier C may finally be open to the Hoboken public on July 1. Environmental Services Director Jennifer Wenson Maier  and Mayor Dawn Zimmer both said they are pushing to have the park completed by that date.

But there's only so much they can do. 

The contract that was drafted with the contractor (a company called EIC Associates) did not have a liquidated damages clause in it, which means that the contractor cannot be fined for being late or missing deadlines. Without that clause, the City has little leverage or power to help speed up the process. 

"We're in an awkward position," said Maier, who was appointed in February. "And it's very frustrating."

"My hands are tied," said Zimmer.  

Although city officials are extremely eager to complete the project, the delay is not costing the city any extra money, Maier said. 

The park, which is built on a pier that extends into the Hudson River, features a promanade, benches, playground equipment and a special area for fishermen. The park rests on concrete pilars. 

But there are some important things on the to-do list before the park can open. First and foremost: the walkway onto the pier lacks railing. Some of the corners around the park are also missing railing, because of complicated measurements. The contractor is currently waiting for railings and steel plates to come in from Europe, said Maier. The complicated construction requires different parts to come in from different manufacturers. 

Some of the materials have to come in from Germany, which has caused some of the delay. An increase in steel prices also led to a delay in shipment, said Maier. It's unclear when the remaining steel parts for the railing will be delivered. 

Maier said field measurements for the steel frames were submitted at least two weeks ago, to speed up the final delivery of the missing parts. (Maier was not available last week for an update on the status of the steel delivery.)

Zimmer said she'd prefer a temporary railing if that would mean the park will open sooner.

"It may not look as nice," she said, "but let's open it."

Maier said that the mesh between the vertical rails will take about 8 weeks to be delivered. A temporary panel will be installed in between the railing in order to open the park on July 1, Maier said. 

Another unforeseen problem causing the delay is the material of some of the playground equipment. A metal climbing dome and the bottom part of a long slide on the Park become too hot in the sunshine. The solution: installing sun canopies to prevent the material from becoming overheated and thus injuring children playing on them. 

Neither Maier nor Zimmer said they knew who would pay for the sun canopies. 

"We're still working that out," Zimmer said. But added that she's thinking about using part of the grant money to pay for the canopies. "Paying a portion is cheaper than a law suit," she said. 

The same playground equipment was recently installed in Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, where signs have been hung up to warn children and parents of the dangers of the heated equipment, according to a recent Daily News article.

Shrubs and small trees are also supposed to provide shade around the playground on Pier C. The trees were just planted and provide no shade as of yet. Pier C will need two shade canopies, which will be locally fabricated, Maier said. 

The designers of the park, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, located in Brooklyn, describe Pier C as part of a new generation of waterfront developments on its website.

The park is supposed to accommodate users of all ages, with playground equipment for children of different ages, grass to sunbathe on and benches along the water to sit and enjoy the view. 

Workers at Pier C park are also working on some other finishing touches, such as doors to the bathrooms. Maier also said that a lot of the playground equipment is still under construction. 

The walkway along the water, which had been closed due to construction on Pier C, has been re-opened. 

The first ribbon cutting ceremony for Pier C Park was held on Dec. 20, when Mayor David Roberts was still in office.  Zimmer, calling the problems her inherited legacy, seems intent on finishing the project and expressed hope of watching the fireworks on the Fourth of July from a brand new Pier C Park. 

Although more than a week has gone by since the visit to Pier C, the railing has still not been installed. 

Mark Pattin, project manager of the park expressed the same frustration about the park. He explained that the park is supposed to be the counterpart of Pier A park. While Pier A is perfect for active recreation (running, throwing a football), Pier C will be better for passive recreation (sitting, strolling). 

"It's been an interesting ride," Pattin said, who has worked with multiple Hoboken administrations on the project.

Pattin is an associate with Michael van Valkenburgh Inc. and has been involved with the development of Pier C since late 2007. 

Although he has expressed frustration with the delays, he has the same (cautious) optimism that Maier and Zimmer expressed. He said everything should fall into place by the end of June, in order to open the park by July 1st. 

"It's doable," said Pattin. But, he added, "that's not to say there won't be some other surprise."