New York Construction Report staff writer
Construction has begun on a $35.7-million project to reduce flooding in Harlem and East Harlem, improve water quality and conserve New York City’s drinking water supply.
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Central Park Conservancy President and CEO Betsy Smith announced the groundbreaking of the North End Recirculation Project, which will modernize stormwater management in northern Central Park.
The project will reduce pressure on the combined sewer system serving the park and surrounding neighbourhoods during heavy rainfall while reducing the park’s reliance on potable water to replenish the Pool, the Loch and the Harlem Meer.
The system is expected to be completed in fall 2028.
It will recirculate and filter water among the three water bodies, diverting water from the Harlem Meer during dry weather and pumping it south of the Pool before allowing it to flow back through the system by gravity.
When a major storm is forecast, the system will lower the Meer’s water level in advance to create capacity for incoming rainfall. Rainwater will then refill the Meer and other water bodies before the system returns to its regular recirculation process.
The project is expected to keep approximately 132 million gallons of water out of local sewers annually and reduce stormwater flows to city sewers by 90% across a 204-acre watershed in Central Park.
It is also expected to conserve an estimated 175 million gallons of drinking water annually and improve water quality in the three water bodies by reducing harmful algal blooms that thrive during warmer months.
“Climate change is bringing more frequent and severe rainfall to our city,” Mamdani said, noting that New York City had spent one in three days under a flash flood activation so far in 2026.
The project will help protect neighbourhoods during extreme weather while conserving the city’s water supply, he said.
Funding includes more than $19.6 million in New York City capital funding, including $14.2 million from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and a $10-million Green Resiliency Grant from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation.
The state grant is funded through the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.
Additional funding includes $2 million from New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, $500,000 from Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, $100,000 from Council Member Gale Brewer and $3.5 million from Central Park Conservancy donors.
“Resilience doesn’t happen by chance; it takes leadership, investment and action,” said Maureen A. Coleman, president and CEO of the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation.
The grant will help make stormwater infrastructure improvements more affordable while reducing flood risks and protecting waterways, she said.
The project has received support from all five community boards surrounding Central Park. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission issued an advisory report in support of the project, which was also granted final design approval by the New York City Public Design Commission in December 2024.
