Close view looking west c/o ARO
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After more than a decade of delays and deterioration, the 79th Street Boat Basin is finally moving toward a full-scale transformation.
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The New York City Public Design Commission recently gave unanimous approval to a new dockhouse design by Architecture Research Office (ARO), a key piece of a broader $90 million rebuild set to modernize and climate-proof the iconic Upper West Side marina, Arch Paper was first to report.
View from north c/o ARO
The green light comes years after Superstorm Sandy ravaged the site, highlighting its vulnerability and setting off a long planning and design process. The city shut down the marina in 2021, citing safety concerns and outdated infrastructure. Boaters were forced to leave, and the space has remained dormant ever since.
Located along the Hudson River at 79th Street, the Boat Basin has long been a unique blend of recreation, maritime culture, and neighborhood lore. Originally opened in 1937 as part of Robert Moses’s sweeping West Side Improvement Project, the marina has served everyone from casual kayakers to houseboat dwellers to high-profile boat owners—Frank Sinatra and The Godfather author Mario Puzo among them.
For decades, the dockhouse was a humble but vital facility: a base for staff, a stop-off for boaters, and a constant presence for year-round liveaboards—the only location in NYC where that’s allowed.
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The new structure will replace what remained of the original dockhouse, which was left in rough shape after Sandy. It will be smaller in footprint—just 3,800 square feet—but far more resilient and efficient.
View from dock c/o ARO
Plans call for a one-story building elevated on nine columns above the Hudson, making it compliant with FEMA flood zone regulations while reducing visual impact from Riverside Park and the Henry Hudson Parkway.
From the street, it will be discreet—partially concealed by trees and topography. From above, a planted green roof will help it blend into the landscape. Large windows will frame wide river views, and low-shine stainless steel cladding is designed to reflect sky and water. Additional features include patterned glass to protect birds and sustainability measures to meet LEED Silver standards.
Inside, the building will house office space for Parks Department staff, storage, and operational infrastructure needed to run the marina.
View from interior c/o ARO
View from water c/o ARO
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We reached out to both the Parks Department and Moffatt & Nichol—the marine engineering firm working alongside ARO—to ask about the project’s timeline (according to the Parks website, it’s “anticipated to reopen in 2028,” though we’re not sure when this page was last updated). We’ll update this story as soon as more information becomes available.
While the dockhouse may be the most visible change, it’s just one part of a broader 15-acre revitalization plan. The project will also involve dredging the basin (something that hasn’t happened in decades), rebuilding and reconfiguring docks, and expanding educational initiatives in collaboration with groups like the Billion Oyster Project and the Department of Education.
The Boat Basin has a long waiting list—reportedly around 1,000 people, some waiting up to 15 years—underscoring how rare and in-demand the space is. The hope is that this redesign will not only preserve the marina’s legacy but also prepare it for a future shaped by climate pressures and changing city needs.
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