New Domino Sugar Factory development will be storm-resistant
The new development being built at the site of the old Domino Sugar Factory will be specially constructed to withstand hurricanes and flooding, Brownstoner reports.
The first line of defense is set to be the buildings’ distance from the coastal line, according to the NY Post, which has been pushed back to 150 feet from the originally-planned 50 feet.
The waterfront area will also be covered largely by parkland and grass, with very little pavement, which is intended to “act as a sponge” in the event of flooding.
Both utilities rooms and building entryways will be elevated: building mechanical equipment will be positioned on the second story of the structures, and the addition of stairways and the pushing of the project uphill will hopefully prevent flooding from seeping — or pouring, as it did during superstorm Sandy — into buildings.
The elimination of cul-de-sacs on the walkways, replaced by pedestrian walkways connecting the street to the waterfront, also aims to remove the potentially for water collection, and allow stormwaters to runoff from the streets into the river.
Brownstoner predicted that these steps could be a model for future waterfront development in the city.
A principal at SHoP Architects, the design firm responsible for the new vision, said, “This project will prove that we can continue to do waterfront development in the city and not have to run from the water.”
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