Achievement Details

UrbanNY is pleased to announce that the South Cove Jetty was recently honored by the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York’s 2020 Engineering Excellence Awards program.

“We would like to congratulate the Battery Park City Authority on the successful completion of this project and on the acknowledgment from ACEC New York,” said William Thomsen, PE, president of Urban Engineers of New York, D.P.C. “Urban was proud to provide multidisciplined solutions as the project progressed and the flexibility to center service around the authority’s needs at one of their signature destination spots.”

South Cove is one of Battery Park City’s most popular destinations. The serene connection as a work of art with the waterfront – as created by designer Mary Miss – had endured for decades. After 30 years though, the timber structure was ready for a deck replacement and structural rehabilitation. The main direction given to UrbanNY on this project by the Battery Park City Authority was to protect the artistic expression of the pedestrian bridge and jetty. After an initial investigation, UrbanNY discovered additional deterioration. While trying to conserve the visual impact of the artist’s original structure, UrbanNY employed a few creative methods of design. The firm designed a splice repair for the damaged piles and recommended a multilayer layer wrap system to protect all the piles from further deterioration.

In an effort to begin construction early and limit the closure of the jetty, BPCA decided to also use UrbanNY as the construction manager. UrbanNY was able to step in to support BPCA with construction management activities throughout the project in addition to performing standard construction administration.

The 2020 Engineering Excellence Awards were announced on ACEC New York’s website and honored in a virtual ceremony. Each year, more than 60 member firms submit projects to the awards program that are judged on a rigorous set of criteria, which includes complexity, innovation, and value to society.