Pier 42 completes a critical missing link of public access along Lower Manhattan's East River shoreline. MNLA's master plan for the park envisions a spectacular transformation of this eight-acre site. Landforms along the FDR Drive provide both a buffer and flood protection as well as greater experiential opportunities within the park. The entire water’s edge is softened by removing the bulkhead and by restoring marsh habitat and wave deflection. The pier itself is separated from land, creating an island connected by bridges over the new resilient shoreline. Phase I of the master plan removes a former warehouse shed on the pier and restores the upland as a tranquil landscape within an already populous and growing neighborhood.