Midtown Tow Pound To Close By End Of 2020, Gov Says

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — The NYPD tow pound on Pier 76 will be shut down by the end of 2020 and transferred to the Hudson River Park Trust for reuse as a public space, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday as park of his State of the State address.

Transferring the tow pound to Hudson River Park has been in the works for two decades, state officials said. As part of Cuomo's plan for the site, located off West 38th Street in the Hudson River, the Hudson River Park Trust, city officials, local community boards and elected officials will develop a plan for the future of Pier 76.

Cuomo described Pier 76 as one of the last remaining sites to develop additional green space on Manhattan's west side.

"The redevelopment of this valuable land will maximize underutilized green space and recreational and market potential with the possibility of connecting regional landmarks like Javits and the High Line," Cuomo said in a statement.

Plans to transfer the site from the NYPD to the Hudson River Park Trust were made in 1998's Hudson River Park Act. Despite the law, the NYPD has maintained use of the 250,000-square-foot site for its tow pound. City officials began talks with the NYPD this year to find alternate sites for its towing operations.

New York State Sen. Brad Hoylman, whose district spans much of Hudson River Park's grounds, hailed Cuomo's plan for Pier 76 as a win for Manhattan residents.

"Hudson River Park serves as the backyard for the West Side of Manhattan, where public open space is in scarce supply. It’s no wonder, then, that the park attracts more than 17 million visits each year," Hoylman said in a statement. "I’m extremely grateful to Governor Cuomo for using his State of the State address to announce legislative proposals to reaffirm his commitment to new open space at Pier 76."