Popular Randall's Island Park Gets $4M For Shoreline Repairs

RANDALL'S ISLAND — The state will spend millions of dollars repairing pathways and refurbishing the shoreline around Randall's Island Park, officials announced late last month.

The 330-acre park in the East River between Manhattan and Queens is getting $4.3 million for the improvements — $3.7 million coming from the state, with another $660,000 from the Randall's Island Park Alliance.

It will pay for shoreline stabilization, erosion prevention and coastal resiliency along a half-mile stretch of the island's Water’s Edge Pathway, which runs along its west side from the 103rd Street Footbridge to the Little Hell Gate Inlet.

Eroded pathways will be repaired and expanded, creating new space for activities like fishing and picnicking, according to the Parks Department. Work will also include seawall repairs and add nature-based features and native plantings, improving habitats for wildlife.

Design for the project will start in October.

"Randall’s Island Park stands out as both a waterfront resource and a recreational hub for surrounding communities, and thanks to this $4.3 million project the park is on track to become more resilient while offering new programming opportunities for all New Yorkers," acting Parks Commissioner Liam Kavanagh said in a statement.

Neighbors visited Randall's Island Park in high numbers during the pandemic, with a 60 percent increase in foot traffic from East Harlem alone, according to the Park Alliance.

"We are excited to receive the grant and we look forward to working with NYC Parks to restore and enhance the shoreline," said Deborah Maher, the group's president.

It comes on top of another $1 million that the city committed for path repairs last year.

Related coverage:

• Randall's Island Park Gets $1M To Upgrade Pathways
• Visits To Randall's Island Surge Among Cooped-Up New Yorkers