Updates

Engaging Community Early and Often

It is critical that the future of the Financial District and Seaport waterfront reflects a shared vision between the City and the community. The Plan is the result of a two-year engagement process where the City worked closely with community members, including the Climate Coalition of Lower Manhattan (CCLM), a stakeholder group composed of residents, business representatives, community organizations, and environmental and resilience groups.

Since the release of the Master Plan, we have hosted a wide variety of events, from open houses to small, focused workshops and meetings with community-based organizations. The team has also set up tables throughout Lower Manhattan to share information and gather feedback. As the design is refined, the City will continue to gather feedback from the community and keep stakeholders informed on progress.

Making Climate Resiliency a Reality

The resilience plan will likely take 15 to 20 years to fully implement and cost approximately $5-7 billion. No single funding source will cover the entire cost; therefore, a variety of City, State, and federal sources—both existing and new—are being considered. In this current phase of work, the City is working with stakeholders to refine the design of the master plan so that environmental review of the project can begin in 2026.

As an alternative to existing funding sources, the City is considering financing opportunities that could emerge from new legislation and allocations from surcharges and assessments, as explored in the February 2025 report Securing a Resilient City: Funding and Financing Shoreline Protection. In addition to capital construction costs, the City will need to identify funding sources to cover ongoing operations and maintenance (O&M) costs to avoid depleting City funds for other operational obligations.

Newsletter

We’ve released a newsletter that gives an overview of the project’s design and a recap of recent community engagement. Download the newsletter and sign up for updates below.

Recordings

• Funding & Financing Panel - April 13, 2021
• Reimagining Lower Manhattan’s Public Waterfront for the 21st Century Virtual Workshop - March 23, 2021
• Ecology & Coastal Defense Virtual Workshop - January 27, 2021
• Virtual Tour of the FiDi and Seaport Area - September 22, 2020