Wagner Park, a cherished waterfront greenspace in Battery Park City, boasts unobstructed views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor. Built nearly 30 years ago, the park has served as an escape for residents of the fast-paced, densely packed neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. As part of a major $221 million climate resilience plan, the Battery Park City Authority will tear down Wagner Park, reconstruct it with new flood-prevention features and raise it by 10 feet. The South Battery Park Wagner Pavilion Resiliency Project will protect the neighborhood from flooding, storm surge and rising sea levels.

The raised Wagner Park will include a buried flood wall along with elevated berms and pop-up walls — infrastructure that’s been identified as critical in an era of climate change. The park will also feature a 63,000-gallon subterranean cistern for retaining, storing and reusing storm water, as well as planted gardens designed to withstand sea level rise and extreme weather.

The new modern Pavilion building of architectural concrete will be the centerpiece of Wagner Park.

In January 2024, the Waterfront Alliance announced that this project would be the 13th nationally to achieve WEDG (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) Verificiation. WEDG is a rating system and set of guidelines for resilient, ecological, and accessible waterfront design. Projects must pass a technical review to be deemed eligible for WEDG Verification. To learn more, click here.