East River waterfront project breaks ground

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor David Paterson broke ground today on the first stage of the East River Waterfront Esplanade and Piers project in Lower Manhattan. The project, which will create 400 jobs and cost $148 million for the first phase, is part of the mayor’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to create a more livable downtown community. The Hudson River Park-like project, slated to be completed by 2010, will transform two miles of underused waterfront spanning from the Battery Maritime Building to Pier 35. [NBC]