HR&A was retained by the Pier 40 Partnership to conduct a development feasibility study for Pier 40, a severely-decayed 15-acre pier in the Hudson River Park. Originally, developers responded to a Request for Proposal issued by the Hudson River Park Trust with plans that met the goals of neither the community nor the Trust. In response, HR&A successfully coordinated a team of engineers, architects, and other consultants to gain an understanding of the structural challenges of pier redevelopment. This effort concluded in an alternative approach to redevelopment that accomplishes the goals of all stakeholders. The firm also conducted a financial analysis of potential redevelopment strategies, ultimately modeling a financing and stewardship structure that has been lauded by the community, elected officials, and financial institutions.
(See Bagli, Charles. "Village Wants to Keep Its Fields as They Are." The New York Times, January 30, 2008. p. B1.)