New York Construction Report staff writer
The Trust for Governors Island is starting a $64-million reconstruction of two waterfront piers to expand ferry capacity, improve access and strengthen infrastructure for the New York City destination.
The city-funded project will rebuild Yankee Pier as a year-round passenger ferry gateway and Lima Pier as a secondary access point for deliveries, construction vehicles and emergency services.
Both piers are about 60 years old and were originally built to serve the U.S. Coast Guard. The reconstruction is intended to accommodate increased demand as Governors Island transitions from a seasonal destination to a year-round public resource that attracts nearly one million visitors annually.
“Every visit to Governors Island begins at the water’s edge,” said Clare Newman, president and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island. “This investment gives the Island a ferry gateway built for the year-round destination it has become, with room to welcome more routes and more New Yorkers in the years ahead.”
The redesigned Yankee Pier will have a widened rectangular deck with passenger queuing space for up to four ferry routes, a floating landing compatible with a wider range of vessels, and amenities including seating, lighting, wayfinding, service information and a shade canopy.
The pier will be rebuilt to an elevation of 11 feet to improve its ability to withstand flooding and severe weather. The expanded landing is also intended to accommodate additional ferry service.
Lima Pier will be rebuilt to handle deliveries of goods and services, construction materials for infrastructure projects, historic building renovations, new facilities and park improvements. The new floating structure will provide additional mooring options for the Trust’s vessel fleet and improve access for emergency services.
Passenger ferry service will continue to use Soissons Landing in addition to Yankee Pier after construction is complete.
Preparation for demolition of the existing piers is scheduled to begin in October 2026. Yankee Pier will be out of service during construction, with NYC Ferry’s South Brooklyn route and the Trust’s seasonal Brooklyn ferry service diverted to Pier 101 beginning Nov. 2, 2026. The Yankee Pier Welcome Center will also relocate to Pier 101.
The Trust said the work will not affect public access to the island’s parks, public spaces or waterfront esplanade.
The project has been approved by and co-ordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. In-water work will follow seasonal restrictions intended to protect fish and other marine life.
The reconstruction will also address habitat needs for common terns, a state-listed threatened species that has established a colony at Lima Pier in recent years. The Trust is working with NYC Bird Alliance to provide a floating dock to support tern nesting habitat during reconstruction and beyond.
“By prioritizing terns in the pier redesign, the Trust is setting an example for how cities can thoughtfully use waterfronts while protecting biodiversity,” said Dustin Patridge, senior director of conservation and science at NYC Bird Alliance.
The design contract was awarded to a team led by New York-based, women-owned design studio Indigo River, with support from Assemblage Landscape Architecture and COLLECTIF Engineering. Skanska will serve as construction manager.
The investment is intended to support the island’s continued growth as a public destination and provide the waterfront infrastructure needed for expanded passenger service and future development.
