Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul Break Ground on $35.7 Million Central Park Flood Project

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul joined Central Park Conservancy president Betsy Smith and DEP Commissioner Lisa Garcia to break ground on the North End Recirculation Project in Central Park. The $35.7 million initiative will connect three water bodies in the park's north end — the Harlem Meer, the Lock, and the Pool — through a circulation and filtration system. The project will reduce stormwater flows to city sewers by 90 percent across a 204-acre watershed, keeping an estimated 132 million gallons of water out of local sewers each year, directly reducing flooding risk in Harlem and East Harlem. The system will also conserve approximately 175 million gallons of drinking water annually by reusing water within the park rather than drawing as heavily on the city's potable supply. Completion is expected in fall 2028. Funding includes $19.6 million in city capital, a $10 million grant from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, $2 million from City Council Speaker Julie Menin, $500,000 from Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and $100,000 from Council Member Gale Brewer.