Working closely with city agencies and two local community-based project partners, MNLA led a team to define the route and character of the South Bronx Greenway within the Hunts Point and Port Morris neighborhoods. A central premise of the project is balancing quality of life improvements for residents and workers alike and demonstrating that community and industry can coexist through careful planning and design. During the planning process, five priority projects were identified, each of which is now constructed.
Hunts Point Landing is a significant component of the master plan. The site’s distinctively long rectangular shape derives from its former use as a street and is the organizing device for activities that transition from internally focused in the upland sector to outward, water-based focused toward the restored shoreline.
Located at the confluence of the Bronx and East Rivers, the 1.5-acre site offers panoramic views; the circulation and topography within the site have been calibrated to ensure that a visitor sees the water and is drawn to the shoreline upon entering the park. Water-based activities include a fishing pier, kayak, and canoe launch as well as a natural shoreline that serves as an educational demonstration of the interaction of fresh and tidal waters. MNLA’s innovative stormwater and shoreline design has been recognized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which generously provided grant money for its construction.
Hunts Point Landing transformed a degraded, contaminated shoreline into a healthy wetland and a splendid park.
Winning two stars as a SITES™ pilot project, Hunts Point Landing is a paradigm of sustainability and proves thoughtful design can be as beautiful as it is useful.
