City Neglects East Harlem Pier Repairs, Report Says

EAST HARLEM, NY — The city has allowed an East Harlem pier that once served as a venue for neighborhood events to fall into disrepair in favor of repair projects in other neighborhoods, according to reports and a local lawmaker.

State Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez told amNewYork that the city's neglect of Pier 107 — which juts out into the Harlem River at East 107th Street — is a form of "environmental racism" against the East Harlem community. When it comes to waterfront development, wealthy neighborhoods tend to be the prime beneficiaries of the city's efforts, Rodriguez told the paper.

The city Parks Department launched a capital project to "stabilize and reconstruct" portions of East Harlem's East River Esplanade between East 114th and 117th streets and Pier 107 in February 2019. The department's capital projects website lists the project's design phase as 30% complete despite a projected March 2020 completion date.

In addition to committing $15 million to the East Harlem section of the Esplanade in 2019, the city committed $38 million to two sections of the esplanade on the Upper East Side. The funding will supplement previous pledges the city has made to closing current gaps in the esplanade and make the entirety of Manhattan's coastline accessible to the public, officials said in February 2019.

Rodriguez told amNewYork that "band aid" fixes for problems at Pier 107 and on the East Harlem's section of the Esplanade aren't a good substitute for needed "dramatic improvements." Pier 107 has been closed to the public for the past two years.

A Parks Department spokesperson told amNewYork that the department is working to fully fund the repair project, which is projected to cost about $38 million.

Read the full amNewYork report here.