New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio

NEW YORK CITY—The de Blasio administration announced on Friday a revised East Side Coastal Resiliency Project plan that would not only raise the entire East River Park, but would increase the cost of the project by approximately $690 million.

City officials said the updated design would expedite construction of the resiliency project that would now begin in the spring of 2020. The project would enable flood protection to be implemented nearly one year earlier, and the entire project is expected to be completed six months earlier than the original design.

The updated design will raise the entire East River Park, with the flood wall at the water's edge integrated with the bulkhead and esplanade that will not obstruct views to the water, city officials stated. The raising of the park also extends the protected area toward the waterline, greatly reducing the likelihood of the park itself being inundated during a storm. The flood protection for the 2.4-mile section of the East Side from Montgomery Street north to East 25th Street, is expected to be in place by the summer of 2023, in time for that year's hurricane season.