NYC Ferry’s Greenpoint landing will be out of action for several months so the dock’s private owner can replace the pier’s broken piles.
The Economic Development Corporation, the city’s business-boosting arm managing the waterborne transit system, announced in a statement on June 7 that the north Brooklyn dock at India and West streets owned by multinational developer Lendlease will undergo months of reconstruction.
“The safety of ferry commuters and the long-term sustainability of the pier is of the utmost importance; therefore, Lendlease determined that all four piles need to be replaced,” reads a June 7 statement by EDC. “Lendlease is working toward repairs to rebuild the landing and ensure the replacement is safe and resilient. They anticipate the landing will be out of service, at a minimum, for several months.”
The damaged berth closed on May 23 after an NYC Ferry captain discovered problems with the jetty’s supporting structures.
Lendlease removed the landing and piles the following day for inspection and has been working with marine engineers to evaluate the damage, according to EDC.
The private company said through a spokeswoman they were working as fast as possible and will share a more detailed timeline in the coming weeks.
“We are moving through several concurrent processes to rebuild the landing and to ensure the replacement is safe and resilient. We also appreciate that this is a disruption for commuters and we, along with our partners New York City Economic Development Corporation and Hornblower, are committed to the most efficient timeline possible to complete the work and restore ferry service,” read a statement by Lendlease.
The city initially offered a shuttle bus to the next-nearest ferry stop at Hunters Point South in Queens, but will discontinue that service after this Wednesday, June 9, due to low ridership, the agency wrote.
Three out of nine Brooklyn ferry landings are currently closed as EDC continues its $11.4 million renovations the South Williamsburg and Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1 stops further south, which are slated to wrap by mid-June.
The Greenpoint jetty has been a headache for commuters using the heavily-subsidized nautical transportation system for years. Last October, the stop was on a 36-hour hiatus when Lendlease took over as the new private owner at the time and suddenly cut off access to the municipal boats.
The street approach to the pier also routinely flooded during rainy weather, forcing riders to build makeshift bridges using construction barriers to get to dry land.
