After 60 years of being closed to the public, Pier 6 is finally getting a makeover. On Tuesday, members of the city’s Economic Development Cooperation put shovel to dirt, officially beginning construction on the $25 million project.
“Today isn’t just about the ground breaking for Pier 6,” said Hewett Chiu, CEO of RasingHealth. “Today is about the unity and strength of Sunset Park, coming together… Today is about investing in the bright future of Sunset Park.”
The multibillion-dollar future includes plans to rebuild the deteriorated pier into a viable 5-acre public park with safe access to the waterfront. The EDC said it will also propel progress for the city’s “blue highway.”
According to the corporation, 12,000 commercial trucks rumble around nearby highways, every day.
“We need to cut down on that truck traffic,” said Andrew Kimball, CEO of the EDC. “It not only creates traffic nightmares for us, it also has negative economic impact, but also has a negative public health impact”
According to a city study, pollution from diesel delivery trucks contribute to 2,000 deaths and over 5,000 hospital visits a year in in New York City.
“We can move these goods by water,” he added firmly. “For instance, fresh produce coming in from Central America and going to the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. Instead of going on a truck, it floats by barge all the way up to the Hunts Point Distribution Center.”
With construction for the park now beginning, the EDC says it is expected to open in 2027.