Saw
Mill
Rive ,
Yo ke s,
New
Yo k
Fo
decades,
a
sectio
of
the
Saw
Mill
Rive
i
dow tow
Yo ke s,
New
Yo k,
a
u de g ou d
be eath
a
pa ki g
lot.
The
ive
had
o ce
helped
the
city
g ow
i to
a
i dust ial
tow ,
but
as
la d
became
sca ce,
pa ts
of
the
wate way
we e
squeezed
i to
smalle
spaces
a d
eve tually
cove ed.The
last
sectio
of
the
ive
i
dow tow
Yo ke s
was
cove ed
i
the
1920s.
The
a ea
became
a
pa ki g
lot
called
La ki
Plaza.
By
2000,
the
su ou di gs
had
cha ged
sha ply
f om
thei
i dust ial
past,
with
empty
a d
boa ded-up
buildi gs
a ou d
the
pa ki g
lot
a d
dow tow .The
city
late
moved
to
u cove
the
bu ied
sectio
of
the
Saw
Mill
Rive .
Acco di g
to
ENR,
the
p oject
eplaced
the
pa ki g
lot
with
a
th ee-ac e
public
pa k
featu i g
the
esto ed
ive ,
wate falls,
a
footb idge,
boa dwalks
a d
a
tidal
basi .The
p ocess
was
completed
i
Septembe
2012.
Withi
six
mo ths
of
wate
flowi g
th ough
the
ew
ive
path,
the
a ea
was
al eady
suppo ti g
aquatic
life.
The
p oject
c eated
14,000
squa e
feet
of
ew
aquatic
habitat,
i cludi g
a
tidal
pool
a d
two
f eshwate
pools.
A
bu ied
ive
The
Saw
Mill
Rive
played
a
impo ta t
ole
i
the
ea ly
developme t
of
Yo ke s.
Its
wate
powe
helped
the
city
become
a
boomi g
i dust ial
tow ,
begi i g
with
g ist
mills
i
the
1650s.
As
the
city
developed
a d
la d
became
limited,
the
ive
was
g adually
squeezed
a d
cove ed
i
some
places.
I
the
1920s,
the
fi al
sectio
u i g
th ough
dow tow
was
cove ed
by
a
pa ki g
lot
at
La ki
Plaza.The
idea
of
u cove i g
the
ive
had
bee
discussed
fo
yea s
befo e
co st uctio
bega .
I
1992,
the
US
A my
Co ps
ide tified
daylighti g
the
cove ed
sectio
at
La ki
Plaza
as
a
valid
esto atio
p oject.I
a
majo
move
i
1999,
whe
the
US
E vi o me tal
P otectio
Age cy
a d
the
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
lau ched
G ou dwo k
Yo ke s
with
suppo t
f om
the
city.I
2002,
G ou dwo k
b ought
i
desig
stude ts
f om
Columbia
U ive sity
to
develop
a
visio
fo
the
p oject.
Two
yea s
late ,
Sce ic
Hudso
p ovided
fu di g
fo
G ou dwo k
to
hold
commu ity
i put
sessio s.
B i gi g
the
ive
back
The
$18.8-millio
p oject
i volved
mo e
tha
simply
emovi g
the
pa ki g
lot.
It
i cluded
a
800-foot-lo g
ive
dive sio
a d
ive
walk
at
La ki
Plaza,
alo g
with
a
pedest ia
b idge
a d
boa dwalks.The
existi g
u de g ou d
ive
cha el
was
ot
emoved.
It
was
kept
i
place
as
a
ove flow
oute
fo
heavy
ai ,
helpi g
p eve t
floodi g
i
the
ew
pa k.A
chambe
was
built
a ou d
the
u de g ou d
cha el
so
that
pa t
of
the
ive ‘s
flow
could
be
dive ted
i to
a
ew
ope
ive
path.
Because
histo ical
co tami a ts
mea t
the
site
was
co side ed
a
b ow field,
the
ew
ive
path
was
li ed
with
heavy
vi yl.
Malla d
a d
ca p
i
daylighted
Saw
Mill
Rive
The
co st uctio
also
had
to
deal
with
existi g
sa ita y
a d
sto mwate
systems.
The
p oject
team
wo ked
with
utility
compa ies
to
avoid
damage
a d
se vice
i te uptio s.
Imp oveme ts
we e
also
made
to
old
utility
i f ast uctu e
a ou d
the
site.G ou dwate
was
mo ito ed
eve y
day
du i g
co st uctio .
A
de-wate i g
system
i cluded
a
1,500-foot
heade
pipe
a d
250
well
poi ts
eachi g
25
feet
deep.
Ove
five
mo ths,
21
millio
gallo s
of
wate
we e
pumped
f om
the
p oject
site.A
u de wate
video
came a
guided
a
dive
who
placed
g out
bags
whe e
the
Saw
Mill
Rive
met
the
Hudso
Rive .
Th ee-dime sio al
modelli g
was
also
used
to
help
locate
the
existi g
co c ete
flume
a d
e close
the
ive
ea
active
st eets
a d
occupied
buildi gs.
The
ive
etu s,
wildlife
follows
The
e vi o me tal
cha ge
became
visible
soo
afte
wate
bega
flowi g
th ough
the
ew
ive
path.
G ou dwo k
USA
says
that
withi
six
mo ths,
the
ive
was
“teemi g
with
life”.The
daylighted
sectio
c eated
14,000
squa e
feet
of
ew
aquatic
habitat.
This
i cluded
o e
tidal
pool
a d
two
f eshwate
pools.The
ew
habitat
suppo ts
a
a ge
of
species,
i cludi g
tu tles,
ducks,
blue
c abs,
black- osed
dace
a d
the
e da ge ed
Ame ica
eel.
Native
pla t
species
we e
also
pla ted
alo g
the
ive
as
ipa ia
habitat.
These
pla ts
att act
be eficial
i sects
a d
help
suppo t
food
chai s.
A
th ivi g
commu ity
space
The
ew
pa k
soo
became
a
place
fo
commu ity
activities.
It
hosts
tou s,
a t
shows,
eve ts,
music,
public
a t
a d
a
seaso al
fa me s’
ma ket
u
by
G ou dwo k
Hudso
Valley.The
pa k
also
has
the
Ame ica
Eel
Outdoo
Class oom.
It
i cludes
a
mosaic
showi g
the
eel’s
jou ey
f om
the
Sa gasso
Sea
to
the
ive
a d
is
used
by
local
educato s.The
p oject
also
became
li ked
to
edevelopme t
i
the
a ea.
The
city
c edited
the
ew
pa k
with
helpi g
t igge
seve al
developme ts,
i cludi g
a
$7-millio
e ovatio
of
a
tech ology
compa y
with
180
jobs.Othe
p ojects
i cluded
a
$43-millio
histo ic
edevelopme t
i volvi g
five
to
seve
buildi gs,
as
well
as
a
apa tme t
towe
a d
mixed-use
complex
pla ed
to
eplace
aba do ed
buildi gs
alo g
o e
side
of
the
pa k.
