A Lively Waterfront in Store for Tribeca By Ronald Drenger The future of Tribeca’s waterfront is taking shape and it appears likely to include a large artificial-turf sports field, a kids’ playground, basketball courts and an ecological preserve, as well as familiar elements—sand volleyball, miniature golf and a boathouse. With uptown sections of the Hudson River Park under construction or well into the design stage, park planners are turning their attention to the stretch of waterfront between Chambers Street and Pier 40 at Houston Street.   On May 30, the Hudson River Park Trust, the state agency developing the park, unveiled the concept design for the Tribeca portion of the park, known as Segment 3, at a meeting organized by Community Board 1 and the park’s advisory council. Sasaki Associates, the design firm hired by HRPT, built on recent consultations with local groups and on guidelines developed over the past five years by CB1 and the Trust. They presented a host of images depicting their vision. The segment will include the tree-lined pedestrian esplanade and the bike- and skateway that will run through the entire five-mile-long park, projected to extend from Battery Park to 59th Street. Much of the park’s walkway and bikeway is already built. Pier 25 and Pier 26 will be the focus of activity in the Tribeca segment. They will be completely rebuilt on the same footprints—1,000 feet long and 130 feet wide, with wider sections near the shore—as the originals. All sorts of uses for the piers have been proposed since development of the Hudson River Park began in the mid-1990’s. While suggestions for a swimming pool, an ice skating rink, a floating movie screen and a bridge between the piers have fallen by the wayside, the programs envisioned by Sasaki closely resemble those outlined early on by CB1 and park planners. Pier 25 "It’s a play pier," Alistair McIntosh, a principal at Sasaki, said of the design for Pier 25. The plan, still subject to revision, includes activities that Manhattan Youth now runs on the pier, with miniature golf, a playground, and sand volleyball courts. There would also be a large artificial-turf-covered multi-use playing field. Historic boats would be moored on the pier’s north side, and a public boat landing on the south side would allow visitors to tie up for the day. Pier 26 Pier 26 would feature a new marine biology station and boathouse, larger than the current facilities run by the River Project and the Downtown Boathouse, connected by a restaurant and topped by roof gardens. A grass lawn further out on the pier would offer passive recreation space. Sasaki proposes a strip along the pier’s northern side featuring a series of ecological zones mimicking the natural progression from water to land—from a hole in the pier to a wetland to grasses, shrubs and trees—providing an outdoor lab for the science station’s research. Alongside the strip would be "learning lawns," for environmental education. "It will be about the experience of understanding the ecology of the Hudson River and its relationship to New York City," McIntosh said. Both piers would have 20-foot-wide pedestrian paths along their perimeters. A paved plaza between the piers would allow vehicle access and and space for public events. Pier 26 to Pier 32 The area between Pier 26 and Pier 32, from Hubert to Watts Street, would be designated an ecological preserve, with native grasses and other plantings on land and a protected marine habitat in the river. Portions of Pier 32, cut off from public access, would contain wildlife habitats and bird nesting areas. The plan for public pathways between Piers 26 and 32 drew criticism from some listeners. In most of the park, the 18- to 20-foot-wide esplanade runs along the water’s edge, but Sasaki proposes to bring it inland here along a winding route. An eight-foot-wide path would run along the water, with small trails connecting the two routes. "This might not work well in a populated area where people mostly want to get to the water’s edge," said Albert Capsouto, chair of CB1’s Tribeca Committee. He suggested that the wider path be along the river. "People like to walk along the water and watch the boats and kayakers," agreed Nancy Owens, chair of CB1’s waterfront committee. McIntosh said his firm will continue to review and revise its plan. There would be tennis courts would between Pier 32 and Pier 40, and south of Pier 25 down to Chambers Street would offer basketball courts, a dog run, and a mooring field in the water. The Timetable Sasaki expects to present a refined design in September, followed by more public comment; segment 3’s final plan is due in September 2003. Construction on the bulkhead and land areas could begin that fall, but demolition and reconstruction of the piers could not start until the spring of 2004. Environmental regulations limit work in the water to between May 1 and Oct. 30. Segment 3’s construction is expected to take about two years. But any timetable is questionable, as the Trust has only $200 million of the park’s anticipated $375 million construction budget. "We will apply for different kinds of federal funds, and to the city and state," said Connie Fishman, vice president of the Trust, "but we don’t have the final answer now where money for Segment 3 will come from."