East Harlem’s Waterfront Is Getting a $353M Makeover — Here’s What’s Coming

EAST HARLEM, NY — East Harlem’s long-awaited connection to the Harlem River is finally taking shape.

City and state officials broke ground Tuesday on the $353 million Harlem River Greenway project, which will bring seven acres of new parkland, bike and pedestrian paths, and direct waterfront access to the neighborhood between East 125th Street and East 132nd Street.

The project — funded by $310 million from the city and a $43 million state grant — will close a seven-block gap in the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, which will one day create a continuous stretch of green space from northern Harlem to East Midtown.

"For decades, the East Harlem community has dreamed of reconnecting to its waterfront, and today we're breaking ground on a vibrant, accessible greenway that delivers just that," NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa said in a statement. "This project represents so much more than new parkland — it's a fulfilled promise."

When completed, the park will feature a playground, basketball court, adult fitness equipment, open lawns with views of Randall’s Island and the Bronx, and a new public restroom at 127th Street entrance— a longtime community request, Parks officials said.

The design also includes public art, native plantings, picnic areas, and barbecue spaces.

The project, managed by the city’s Economic Development Corporation on behalf of NYC Parks, will also rebuild the river’s bulkhead and raise the shoreline by about two feet to protect against flooding and sea level rise projected through 2080. Hundreds of trees and thousands of shrubs will be added to absorb stormwater and cool the surrounding area.

Officials said the new waterfront park will not only expand recreation space but also make the city more resilient to climate change.

Construction will be managed by Hunter Roberts Construction Group, with design led by Langan and Starr Whitehouse.

Once complete, the construction will move onto the next phases — stretching from East 132nd to 145th streets, and again from 155th Street to Swindler Cove — and focus on repairing and rebuilding sections of the historic seawall that once bordered the Harlem Speedway more than a century ago.

The Parks department did not give a projected completion date for the whole first phase, but according to its website, the bathroom on 127th Street should be done in January 2026.

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