South Street Stakeholders

In March 2012, Two Bridges hosted the first in a series of South Street Stakeholder meetings to discuss opportunities to implement better streetscape & urban design, including green infrastructure, to connect the Two Bridges Neighborhood between the Brooklyn Bridge and Montgomery Street to the East River Waterfront Esplanade. The stakeholders group includes property owners, residents, city agencies, elected officials, community board members and other interested parties.

For too long, this stretch of South Street has been a neglected corridor of dumpster platforms and parking lots, where most buildings fail to address the street and/or the water. With the new park developments along South Street, including the forthcoming Pier 42 at Montgomery Street, this area must better connect to the waterfront, for the benefit of owners and residents alike. 

At this critical time, we see opportunities to:

• Develop new or redesign existing street crossings to enable pedestrians and cyclists to safely reach the waterfront while calming traffic on this busy truck route; 
• Create more lively and active street life, thus safer streets, by encouraging commercial and residential infill to address South Street;
• Reduce stormwater runoff and improve the health of the East River by incorporating green infrastructure into streetscapes and private property.
• Manage storm surges in this low-lying coastal area through green technologies that can function in fair weather as parks and public space. 
• Address storm surge potential though appropriate architectural design.