Two years after Manhattan nonprofit Hudson River Park Trust revealed plans for a 5.5-acre public park and beach just a stone’s throw from the Whitney Museum of American Art, the first three construction Requests for Proposals (RPFs) have been issued. Now, it looks like work on the $70 million, James Corner Field Operations-designed Gansevoort Peninsula park will kick off this spring.

“Gansevoort Peninsula will be a spectacular public space for all New Yorkers, whether they’re enjoying Manhattan’s first public beach, playing on the ballfields or looking out in the salt marsh,” said Madelyn Wils, president & CEO of the Hudson River Park Trust, in a press release. “As Hudson River Park moves closer to completion, we are excited to be in position to start construction on one of our signature projects this coming spring. Thank you to our funding partner, the City of New York, for its support of what will be the largest single greenspace in Hudson River Park.”

The site, currently a vacant lot located between Gansevoort Street and Little West 12th Street, will be filled in at a time of unprecedented expansion for the trust; the new park and beach will be built between Little Island at Pier 55 (opening this spring) and David Hammons’ ethereal Day’s End sculpture at the peninsula’s southern end.

One complete in spring 2023, Gansevoort Peninsula will bring a sandy beach at the park’s south side, complete with kayak access (important to reach both the Pier 40 boathouse and Jersey City-side docks, among many others) and riprap that, from the renderings, will fade below Day’s End. A large soccer field will join the salt marsh on the park’s northern edge, and patrons will also find a new dog run and access to what the Trust called the largest piece of uninterrupted green space in all of the 4-mile-long Hudson River Park. A strip of picnic tables and lounge chairs are planned for the park’s westernmost edge, looking out towards New Jersey. While the beach isn’t meant for swimming (not that you’d want to take a dip in the Hudson anyways), the additional coastline will help buffer Manhattan’s west side from storm surges.

According to the Trust, Gansevoort Peninsula was largely financed by the City of New York through restricted funds distributed to the Trust.