Hallets Cove Waterfront Revitalization

In very welcome news, it was recently announced that habitat restoration in Hallets Cove will begin in early 2021. The plan is to clean up trash from the East River, which has in the past been used as a dumping ground,, restore the riverbank’s ecology, and safely remove the “radio tower,” a rotted pier that has been an eyesore for many years.

In a statement on Facebook, District 22 Council Member Costa Constantinides said: “For too long, the community has been disconnected from the waterfront because of our crumbling infrastructure. Glad to work with NYEDC, Queens Borough President Sharon Lee & the Astoria Houses community to change that dynamic and create a healthier waterfront.”

OANA President Richard Khuzami told QNS.com “’Old Astoria, especially Hallets Cove, is in the midst of a hard fought renaissance, integrating it with the rest of NYC. With the advent of the NYC Ferry Landing, the recent stepped-up street cleaning by the NYC Department of Sanitation, efforts like the removal of the Radio Tower and corresponding clean-up of the Cove, and cultural institutions such as Socrates Sculpture Park and Noguchi Museum, the Western Queens waterfront is now becoming a destination of choice for all New Yorkers. And the residents of Old Astoria are now easily accessing all that our great city has to offer.’”

Claudia Coger, president of the Astoria Houses Residents Association, told QNS.com that the Astoria Houses community “’and the entire north western Queens neighborhood are excited to see this project get off the ground. As a lifelong Astoria Houses resident and a lover of the outdoors, I’m especially grateful to see these beginning stages of our waterfront’s revival and restoration. This will ensure that many future generations will be able to access, interact, learn from, and appreciate the beauty of our natural landscape.’”

 

Photo: Hallets Cove revitalization plan, courtesy of Costa Constantinides