Be Part of the Flood Protection Planning for Lower Manhattan

Cars floated from the parking garage beneath the office tower of 85 Broad Street, where massive amounts of water were being pumped for days after Superstorm Sandy struck. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Can the city protect Lower Manhattan from the next Superstorm Sandy, or worse? Here’s where you can learn about what is being done about future flood protection and the challenges that lie ahead, plus offer your own thoughts as well. A number of design concepts are under consideration and twice yearly the city seeks community input on its evolving plans.

“It's really important for people to engage at this meeting so they can have their voices heard in any plan going forward,” said Catherine McVay Hughes, former chair of Community Board 1 and an active member of several groups involved with coastal resiliency.

A Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency workshop will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on May 18 at St. Paul's Chapel, 209 Broadway. The area under study lies from the Brooklyn Bridge around the tip of Manhattan and up to the north end of Battery Park City.

The workshop will cover the options and trade-offs in flood protection designs and provide a forum for feedback. “We need to be sure that people are there, asking the tough questions,” McVay Hughes said.

Childcare and a “light meal” will be provided. For more information on the city’s Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project, click here [1].