Kips Bay parking lot on East River to become temporary public open space
Streetview of East 34th Street and FDR Drive © 2021 Google
An underutilized stretch of Manhattan’s eastern waterfront in Kips Bay will soon be transformed into new open space. The city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) on Monday announced plans to convert a city-owned parking lot on East 34th Street along the FDR Drive into a temporary park. Although the official design has not yet been released, the agency said the new space will feature ADA-accessible fitness equipment, seating and gathering areas, and a waterfront-friendly layout, with completion expected in spring 2026.
Jointly owned by the NYCEDC and the Department of Small Business Services (SBS), the site previously served as stacked car storage for the nearby NYU Langone Hospital. The redesign follows years of collaboration with local officials, Community Board 6, and the Parks Department to determine how the space could best serve neighborhood needs.
After the lease for hospital parking expired in 2023, members of the community board urged city agencies and local lawmakers to repurpose the site, which offers expansive views of the East River, according to Streetsblog.
The temporary open space is part of the larger public realm investments linked to SPARC Kips Bay and Innovation East, two NYCEDC projects approved in February, as reported by Yimby. It could also extend the existing waterfront plaza adjacent to the nearby ferry pier.
Located on Hunter College’s Brookdale Campus at East 25th Street and First Avenue, the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) will provide modern facilities for 4,500 City University of New York students, as well as an ambulatory care center, a Health + Hospitals training center, a health care and sciences high school, and a training center for forensic pathologists, as 6sqft previously reported.
The project is expected to create more than 15,000 jobs and generate $42 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years, while building a pipeline from NYC’s public schools and universities to “future-focused,” family-sustaining careers in life sciences and health care.
Innovation East will rise at 455 First Avenue, transforming the former Public Health Lab site into a 500,000-square-foot life sciences hub.
Other investments include over 1.5 acres of public realm improvements, including the new public open space and a new ADA-accessible 25th Street pedestrian bridge over the FDR Drive.
“NYCEDC knows how much New Yorkers value high-quality open space, which is why we are thrilled to transform this site into an accessible community amenity for residents, workers, and visitors alike,” NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball said.
“Leveraging city-owned assets for community benefit is at the heart of our work, and it is longstanding collaboration with partners like Councilmember Powers, Community Board 6, and the greater Kips Bay community that helps bring these visions to life.”
Kimball acknowledged that the public space is technically temporary, noting that “there’s going to be a lot of work happening around here, really, for the next couple of decades,” according to Streetsblog.
He added: “Candidly, this waterfront work never stops, but we are very confident that the park we build out here in partnership with the Parks [Department], the open space we build out here, the access to amenities, access to the water recreation exercise equipment, will be here for a very, very long time.”
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