Henry Hudson Parkway Determined S/NR Eligible
From Hilary Kitasei
Chair, Henry Hudson Parkway Task Force
[email protected]
It’s the news we’ve been waiting for.
The entire Henry Hudson Parkway – from West 72nd Street in Manhattan to the city line at Yonkers has been declared eligible for listing in the National Historic Register. It protects the parkway’s roadway, service roads, parks, bridges, tunnels, and landscape – some 1,000 acres in all. The Henry Hudson Parkway is the first state road (and first Moses parkway) in New York City to receive this distinction. (The parkway below 125th Street was listed in the Register as well as designated a NYC Scenic Landmark as part of Riverside Park in the 1980s. This declaration recognizes the parkway in its own right and its entirety.)
The State’s declaration is not a silver bullet but it is a powerful tool to restore the parkway as a linear park as well as scenic drive. All projects that use federal or state funds will now be subject to scrutiny for their
impact on its natural and built features and its character, all of which are now defined. The city will be able to take advantage of new sources of funding for greenways, landscapes and infrastructure. Most important of all, it awakens the city to the value of this incredible asset in its midst.
Next Steps
There are some immediate opportunities. The New York State Department of Transportation is about to replace the signs on the parkway. Rather than replace them in-kind, we want DOT to use this chance to be more sensitive to the size and location — especially in Manhattan north of 125th Street and the Bronx.
Second, we can not let MTA renege on the bicycle and pedestrian access that were promised as part of the rehab of the Henry Hudson Bridge. The bridge has the potential to be a great destination for residents of Riverdale. Its view of the Hudson and Harlem River, the Palisades and Spuyten Duyvil could be the brightest jewel in the Hudson River Valley Greenway.
The greatest opportunity for all of the stakeholders is resuming the Scenic Byway process, which has been stalled since the collapse of the great retaining wall (nearly rebuilt and looking surprisingly good, thanks to the private owners’ willingness to spend money on its parkway façade). If the Merritt and Palisades Parkways are any guide, listing in the National Register should get that wheel turning as well.
Now enjoy the full report at www.riverdalenature.org