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Wagner Park

Wagner Park
The park in 2025
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LocationBattery Park City, Manhattan, New York
Coordinates40°42′19″N 74°1′7″W / 40.70528°N 74.01861°W / 40.70528; -74.01861
Created1996
EtymologyRobert F. Wagner Jr.
StatusOpen

Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park (also known as Wagner Park) is a green space in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The park is sited on landfill from the World Trade Center site[1] and opened in 1996.[2][3] It was designed by a partnership of Rodolfo Machado, Jorge Silvetti, Hannah/Olin, and Lynden B. Miller.[2] The park is named after Robert F. Wagner Jr., who helped negotiate the 1979 master plan for Battery Park City[4] before his sudden death in 1991.[2] The park is just north of City Pier A at the southern end of Manhattan.[5]

The park's lawn and esplanade in 2007, prior to reconstruction

In 2022, the Battery Park City Authority announced plans to demolish and rebuild the park; the demolition attracted opposition from local residents.[6][7][8][9] The demolition was part of the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency flood-resiliency project.[10][11] Thomas Phifer and AECOM were hired to design the renovation.[12][13] In response to the public pressure, the Battery Park City Authority enlarged the area dedicated to lawns in the plans, although the rebuilt lawns would still contain 10 percent less green space.[14][15] The park was temporarily closed for reconstruction beginning in March 2023.[16] Wagner Park reopened on July 29, 2025,[17][18] after the $296 million renovation was complete.[13]

Compared with the original design, the rebuilt park has 48 fewer trees. It was raised from 11 to 20 feet (3.4 to 6.1 m), where 139 trees would be planted.[11] There are also gardens and a 63,000-U.S.-gallon (240,000 L) stormwater retention tank.[13][19] A 19,204-square-foot (1,784.1 m2) park pavilion was also built;[20] the pavilion is made of concrete and has a red facade, with archways and cylindrical protrusions on the roof.[12] There is a roof terrace, as well as educational facilities such as classrooms within the pavilion.[12][13] The rebuilt park uses material saved from the original design, such as wood and stone, and there are plantings and trails throughout the park.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Wagner Park, From Concept to Construction". Machado Silvetti. June 2017. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Goldberger, Paul (November 24, 1996). "A Small Park Proves That Size Isn't Everything". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  3. ^ "Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  4. ^ "Wagner Park - BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY". bpca.ny.gov. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  5. ^ Glassman, Carl (March 27, 2022). "Goodbye to Today's Wagner Park. Two Years of Resiliency Redo Lies Ahead". Tribeca Trib Online. Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  6. ^ "Locals Fight to Save Wagner Park in Lower Manhattan". NBC New York. August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  7. ^ Maldonado, Samantha (May 16, 2022). "In Battery Park City, Another Plan to Destroy a Green Space In Order to Save It". The City. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  8. ^ Feldman, Eric (August 16, 2022). "Pushback to Battery Park City Resiliency Project leads to proposed changes". www.ny1.com. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  9. ^ Hemphill, Anjali (August 17, 2022). "Locals Rally to Halt $220M Plan They Say Will Ruin Popular Manhattan Waterfront Park". MSN. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  10. ^ "Resiliency - BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY". bpca.ny.gov. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Hu, Winnie; Barnard, Anne (October 21, 2022). "A Plan to Save a Beloved Park From Flooding Has Angered Its Biggest Fans". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d Roche, Daniel Jonas (August 11, 2025). "AECOM and Thomas Phifer transform Wagner Park". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d Ratliff, Laura (August 1, 2025). "This beloved NYC waterfront park just got a $1.7 billion makeover". Time Out New York. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  14. ^ Spivack, Caroline (August 16, 2022). "Battery Park City resiliency project gets eleventh-hour greenspace boost". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  15. ^ Allen, Dashiell (August 18, 2022). "B.P.C.A. pledges '10 more trees, expanded lawn space' as contentious Wagner Park raze-and-rebuild resiliency project set to start". The Village Sun. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  16. ^ "Wagner Park Reopens This Evening in Battery Park City" (Press release). Battery Park City Authority. July 29, 2025. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  17. ^ "Wagner Park Reopens in Battery Park City". City Life Org. July 29, 2025. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  18. ^ Ginsburg, Aaron (July 30, 2025). "Elevated by 10 feet, Battery Park City's Wagner Park reopens with new flood protection". 6sqft. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  19. ^ Newburger, Emma (March 25, 2023). "New York will demolish and elevate a waterfront park to fight floods, angering some neighbors". CNBC. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  20. ^ Young, Michael; Pruznick, Matt (September 6, 2024). "South Battery Park City Resiliency Project Progresses in Lower Manhattan". New York YIMBY. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
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