While Lower Manhattan may be better known for its office buildings than its bustling pedestrian neighborhoods, a new proposal could turn a key corridor into a commercial haven. The Alliance for Downtown New York, a neighborhood advocacy group, has pitched a comprehensive reorganization plan for Water Street designed to enhance foot traffic and encourage retail activity. The plan includes a broad reconfiguration of the roadway by scaling down Water Street and making the area more pedestrian-friendly through the addition of plazas and landscaped space. Also integral to the plan is a reevaluation of current Water Street zoning, the Downtown Alliance said, in order to allow more ground-floor retail activity. While it was not immediately clear how much the program will cost, Downtown Alliance said it expects the initiative to be complete in 2020. TRD
Lower Manhattan agency pitches retail revitalization plan
From top: the current Water Street corridor and a rendering of the area after the revitalization plan
