Rendering: Elevated, climate‑resilient dockhouse with green roof and reflective stainless steel cladding at 79th Street Boat Basin.
79th Street Boat Basin, New York City, August 30, 2025
The city design review board has approved a new 3,800‑square‑foot, climate‑resilient dockhouse for the 79th Street Boat Basin as part of a $90 million marina overhaul. The one‑story building will be elevated on nine columns to meet flood‑zone requirements and feature a green roof, low‑luster stainless steel cladding, large corner windows with bird‑safe frit, and an angled plan to frame water views. The approval clears a major design hurdle for a 15‑acre revitalization that includes dredging, dock replacement and expanded environmental education partnerships, while targeting LEED Silver certification and improved long‑term resilience.
The city’s design review board has approved a new, climate‑resilient 3,800‑square‑foot dockhouse for the 79th Street Boat Basin, clearing a major hurdle in a broader $90 million plan to rebuild a storm‑battered marina and surrounding parkland. The design, produced by a Brooklyn‑based architecture team in collaboration with engineering and record architects, won unanimous approval in August after several years of public review and revisions.
The approved building is a one‑story structure raised above the river on a grid of nine columns so it meets federal flood‑zone requirements. It is intended to replace a dockhouse that was heavily damaged when Superstorm Sandy hit the city in 2012. The new structure is the centerpiece of a 15‑acre revitalization that includes the first basin dredging in decades, dock replacement and expanded educational partnerships with local environmental and school programs.
The dockhouse is designed to sit quietly within the landscape. From the nearby Henry Hudson Parkway it will be largely hidden, sheltered by the site’s topography and mature trees. A green roof is planned so the structure will seem enmeshed with parkland when viewed from the higher floors of Riverside Drive apartments. The exterior will be wrapped in low‑luster stainless steel that reflects water and sunlight without glare, while large corner windows and an angled floor plan will frame views in multiple directions. Glass surfaces will be fitted with frit patterns to reduce bird collisions.
The compact interior will provide workspace for park staff, equipment storage and services to support the city’s only site that permits year‑round live‑aboards. Sustainable measures include shading devices, the vegetated roof and other energy‑saving strategies. The project is targeting LEED Silver certification.
The boat basin opened in 1937 as part of a major midcentury riverside improvement. Over time it became an important hub for the city’s maritime life, hosting houseboat communities and recreational launches. By the early 2000s facilities were deteriorating; the damage from Superstorm Sandy in 2012 exposed long‑standing vulnerabilities to flooding and wave action. The Parks Department closed the marina in 2021 and required tenants to leave that year as part of a funding and planning push that included federal support.
With design approval finalized, the project team will move toward final permitting and construction scheduling. The larger revitalization includes dredging the basin for the first time in decades, replacing docks and expanding educational programming in partnership with environmental groups and public schools. The marina has long had far more demand than supply, with a reported waiting list measured in hundreds and stretching as long as 15 years.
Delivering a complex waterfront rebuild will require focused client coordination and project management. The project expects a main point of contact role to manage client expectations and communications across a wide set of partners, including principals, directors, manufacturers, project architects, contractors and construction managers. Typical responsibilities will include daily tracking of projects and timelines, coordinating delivery and installation activities, preparing and updating schedules and punch lists, and managing budgets and billing.
The dockhouse design is the product of an architecture office working alongside marine engineers and an architect of record to meet structural, flood and code requirements. The elevated, column‑based structure and carefully chosen exterior materials are intended to reduce visual impact while meeting long‑term resilience targets.
The new dockhouse is one major element of a larger 15‑acre revitalization that also includes dredging the basin, replacing docks and improving education and outreach programs. It does not by itself replace the entire marina but it is a central piece of the overall plan.
The structure is elevated on columns to meet FEMA flood‑zone requirements and to limit flood risk during future storm events.
The marina was closed in 2021 to begin planning and funding for the overhaul. A firm construction and reopening timeline will depend on permitting, procurement and the phased schedule for dredging and dock replacement.
It will provide space for park staff and storage and will support services for live‑aboard residents and recreational users when docks are reinstalled.
The project targets LEED Silver certification and includes a green roof, shading devices and other measures to reduce energy use and integrate the building into parkland.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project budget | $90 million overhaul with federal support |
| Dockhouse size | 3,800 square feet, one story elevated on nine columns |
| Design approval | Unanimous approval by the city design commission in August |
| Sustainability | Green roof, shading devices, targeting LEED Silver |
| Site work | Dredging the basin (first time in decades), dock replacement, educational partnerships |
| Historical context | Opened in 1937; damaged in Superstorm Sandy (2012); closed for overhaul in 2021 |
| Demand | Marina waiting list measured in many years (up to 15 years reported) |
| Construction partners | Architectural and engineering collaborators with an architect of record |
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