Last Wednesday, the New York City Council unanimously approved plans to tear down the current Pier 17 in the South Street Seaport and build a new $200 million SHoP Architects-designed mall in its place, marking the end of the long and sometimes contentious ULURP approval process. Crain’s reported that Dallas-based developer Howard Hughes made some concessions to the council including pushing back construction on the project to allow Hurricane Sandy-battered tenants to have an additional summer season, with construction now anticipated to begin on October 1st.

SHoP‘s design calls for a mix of boutique and large retail spaces inside the 250,000-square-foot facility connected by open air pedestrian corridors. Large glass garage doors can be lowered during inclement weather to protect these open spaces. The new building will be capped with an occupiable green roof.

As part of the City Council approval, the developers will also build two new food markets adjacent to the new structure in the old Link and Tin Buildings.

The project is expected to be complete by 2015. Besides Pier 17, SHoP is also designing another waterfront mall in Staten Island called the Harbor Commons.