Tribeca boathouse appears safe from budget cut

Gov. David Paterson put far less money in the state budget for Hudson River Park than park advocates were hoping.

While the city allocated $11 million for the park’s construction next fiscal year, Paterson allocated only $3 million in his budget, said Matthew Washington, deputy director of the Friends of Hudson River Park. The city and state allocations must match, so if the state only puts in $3 million, then the park will only get $3 million from the city.

If the $3 million figure stands, Washington said there would still be enough money to open the new boathouse on Pier 26 in Tribeca in 2011, but the small budget would put some planned work farther north in jeopardy. Specifically, the Hudson River Park Trust would not be able to replace the parking lot between 39th and 42nd Sts. with plantings and an extension of the esplanade, Washington said. The rest of the Tribeca section with the exception of Pier 26 is scheduled to open this year and the funding to complete it was passed in previous budgets.

Washington traveled to Albany recently hoping to persuade Paterson’s office to double its allocation to $6 million, which would give the park a total of $12 million with the city match. That extra money would allow the work between 39th and 42nd Sts. to begin, Washington said.