NYCEDC Announces Conversion of City-Owned East 34th Street Parking Lot into Public Open Space
Long Advocated by the Community New Waterfront Site to be Revitalized into Accessible Community Amenities Including Gathering, Relaxation, and Fitness Areas
Building on Wide-Ranging Local Public Realm Improvements Underway in SPARC Kips Bay Project
NEW YORK, NY—New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks), and NYC Councilmember Keith Powers today announced the conversion of a city-owned East 34th Street site along the FDR Drive into accessible waterfront temporary public open space. The site, owned by NYCEDC and the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), was previously used as a parking lot and has been redesigned following years of collaboration with Councilmember Keith Powers, Community Board Six, and NYC Parks to determine how it could better suit community needs. The new temporary open space will include ADA-accessible fitness equipment, new furniture for relaxation and community gathering, and a waterfront-friendly design. The project’s expected completion is in Spring 2026.
This new temporary open space is part of a larger set of City and NYCEDC investments into the Kips Bay neighborhood. Notably, the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay project will transform Hunter College’s Brookdale Campus on East 25th Street and First Avenue into a new, state-of-the-art academic and life sciences facilities. Other investments include over 1.5 acres of public realm improvements, including the creation of the new publicly accessible open space, and a new ADA-accessible 25th Street pedestrian bridge over the FDR Drive. The revitalization of the parking lot on East 34th Street will bring high-quality, accessible amenities for residents, workers, and visitors.
“NYCEDC knows how much New Yorkers value high-quality open space, which is why we are thrilled to transform this site into an accessible community amenity for residents, workers, and visitors alike,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “Leveraging city-owned assets for community benefit is at the heart of our work, and it is longstanding collaboration with partners like Councilmember Powers, Community Board 6, and the greater Kips Bay community that helps bring these visions to life.”
“Vibrant public spaces are at the heart of what makes our neighborhoods tick,” said NYC Council Member Keith Powers. “I’m proud to have worked with Community Board 6 to secure this commitment from NYCEDC & the Parks Department to transform a city-owned parking lot into an open space where the community can gather, exercise and take in the waterfront views of the East River. Together, we will create an open space that better serves the community and helps us fulfill our mission of creating a more livable New York City.”
“Expanding accessible and inclusive open spaces across the city is one of our top priorities,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa. “We’re proud to partner with NYCEDC, Councilmember Powers, and the Kips Bay community to transform this underused site into a vibrant waterfront destination where residents and visitors can relax, exercise, and connect with nature. Projects like this show the power of collaboration in reimagining our city’s public spaces for everyone to enjoy.”
“For years, Manhattan Community Board 6 has worked with our city agency partners to return this site to the public, and we’re proud to see that vision becoming reality,” said Manhattan Community Board 6 Chair Sandra McKee. “Through changes in administrations, agencies, and even a global pandemic, CB6 never lost sight of the need for more accessible open space along our East River waterfront. This project marks a major step toward giving East Side residents the quality public waterfront they deserve, and we’re very grateful to NYCEDC, NYC Parks, and Council Member Powers for partnering with us to make it happen.”
First announced by Mayor Eric Adams, Governor Kathy Hochul, NYCEDC, and City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez in October 2022, the historic SPARC Kips Bay project is expected to create more than 15,000 total jobs, generate $42 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years, and establish a pipeline from New York City’s public schools and public universities to future-forward and family-supporting careers in the life sciences and health care sectors. In February 2025, the New York City Council officially voted to approve the SPARC Kips Bay project as part of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).
Vibrant, accessible outdoor space is central to both NYCEDC’s mission and making SPARC Kips Bay into a vibrant hub for research and education that is also an integrated part of the Kips Bay neighborhood. NYCEDC is delivering key public space improvements throughout Manhattan, from the transformation of Fifth Avenue into a world-class, pedestrian-centered boulevard; to the launch of design study to develop a vision for transformational upgrades on 14th Street; to the opening of the Solar One Environmental Education Center and public space in Stuyvesant Cove.
About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
