Photo: Hudson River Park Trust

The Hudson river docks in New York harbor were once elegant terminals that greeted the arrival of passenger ships in the 1900s. Several were designed by the same architects that designed New York’s Grand Central Station. By the 70s, when I first arrive in the New York, they were largely abandoned – urban nightmares, known for violence, drugs and illicit sex.   In the eighties and nineties, many of the old sheds were torn down, leaving bare concrete piers jutting into the river.  Now, the Hudson River Park Trust is seeking proposals for the long term docking of historic vessels on at least one surviving pier, the newly refurbished Pier 25.

Hudson giving berth – River park will host historic ships

A fleet of historic vessels will have a permanent home at Hudson River Park, under a plan to turn newly shipshape Pier 25 into a kind of South Street Seaport west.

The Hudson River Park Trust is seeking operators of historic ships, which can provide educational and recreational programs to visitors, according to a request for proposals released yesterday.

Three permanent berths and a fourth for visiting ships were built on the North Moore Street pier in TriBeCa, which also includes a skate park, volleyball court, children’s playground and miniature-golf course.

And under the trust’s long-term plans, additional historic ships would be moored at the still unrenovated piers 54 and 97.

While the RFP does not specify the type of programs the ships must offer, the documents suggest one “might make the classroom available for environmental or maritime educational programs,” while another “might function as a museum.”

The ships could also offer excursions onto the water to teach about the history of New York Harbor.

Many of these vessels have visited the park in recent years to offer tours, excursions and classes for school children, but under the trust’s plan they would not have a permanent home there.