Full Repairs Coming To 2 UES Sections Of East River Esplanade

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The city will fully repair two damaged sections of the East River Esplanade on the Upper East Side, extending the infrastructure's life for at least 25 years with a project that could cost as much as $45 million.

Community Board 8 voted unanimously this month to approve a rehabilitation project proposed by the city Parks Department to fully repair infrastructure along the esplanade from East 90th to 94th streets and East 62nd to 63rd streets. Both sections of the esplanade are classified by the city as "poor" or "critical" condition, CB8 parks committee co-chair Tricia Shimamura said during the board's vote.

The rehabilitation projects for each section are rated as "level four" project, the most comprehensive level other than a full reconstruction, according to a Parks Department presentation. Work to be done includes restoring deteriorated sections of the esplanade, securing vulnerable elements and replacing damaged or failed structures.

Workers will also individually inspect each of the columns supporting the esplanade at both sections and conduct work to bring each column up to a state of good repair. The project will extend the service life of the infrastructure by at least 25 years, according to the Parks Department presentation.

There is a third section of the East River Esplanade that is in poor condition, between East 75th and 79th streets, but the latest round of funding did not include this section, Shimamura said during the CB 8 full board meeting. The parks committee co-chair encouraged other board members and members of the public who attended the meeting to reach out to local representatives to request future funding to repair this section.

The city expects to finish the design phase for the esplanade repair projects in April and permits should be approved by August. After permits are filed, the city will solicit bids from contractors and move on to construction. The Parks Department presentation did not set a completion date for the repair projects.