Rocky construction complications have yet again delayed the reopening of the NYC Ferry stop in Greenpoint by two months, frustrating politicians in the northern Brooklyn nabe as the jetty has remained out of action for more than a year.
The landing was supposed to once again serve waterborne commuters this month, but its private owner, multinational developer Lendlease, said in a statement Friday that riders will have to wait until October or early November.
Marine contractors will have to spend more time drilling and anchoring piles holding up the new pier, because the East River bedrock below is thicker and denser compared to other parts of the riverbed.
“The rock socketing process to secure the piles in place is taking longer than expected and we now anticipate the launch of the landing to be at the end of October or early November,” read the Aug. 25 update.
The pier is the only privately-owned dock in the ferry system run by the city’s quasi-public nonprofit Economic Development Corporation.
The dock closed down in May 2021 after a ferry captain spotted issues with the structure’s supporting pillars.
Repairs didn’t launch for another year, which Lendlease chalked up to a lengthy permitting process with state’s Department of Environmental Conservation allowing them to build in the water.
Local lawmakers sounded off Thursday that there was yet another setback — which local news site Greenpointers first reported – telling the developer and EDC to get their act together.
“This is unacceptable,” wrote Council Member Lincoln Restler on Twitter. “No temporary pier, no shuttle bus & no access to ferry at all.”
“EDC needs to identify short term solutions & long term public assets we can depend on for reliable ferry service,” Restler said.
Assembly Member Emily Gallagher echoed her city colleague, saying transportation infrastructure should not be in private hands to begin with.
“We are completely out of patience. Private companies shouldn’t own public infrastructure,” the state lawmaker wrote on Twitter.
The north Brooklyn landing has had a long history of issues predating the current snafu.
Lendlease suddenly cut off access to the municipal boats for 36 hours after buying the property in the fall of 2020, leaving unsuspecting riders stranded while deckhands had to shout at them from out in the water to inform landlubbers of the closure.
In 2019, Greenpointers had to scale construction barriers to get to dry land when adjacent the cul-de-sac flooded, and in 2014 the ramp collapsed.
An EDC spokesperson said ferry officials are in constant communication with Lendlease and are keeping the politicos abreast of the renovation.
“We look forward to bringing NYC Ferry service back to Greenpoint as soon as Lendlease safely restores the landing,” said Mary Mueller.
