Yonkers uncovers buried river, creating 14,000 sq ft of aquatic habitat
In 2012, Yonkers, New York, completed a project to uncover a section of the Saw Mill River that had been buried beneath a downtown parking lot since the 1920s. The former Larkin Plaza was turned into a three-acre public park. Within six months, the restored river supported 14,000 square feet of new aquatic habitat and several species.
In downtown Yonkers, New York, a section of the Saw Mill River once ran underground beneath a parking lot. The river, historically crucial to the city's industrial growth, was eventually covered in the 1920s when it became part of Larkin Plaza. By 2000, the area had transformed into a parking lot surrounded by vacant, boarded-up buildings.
In 2012, the city undertook a project to uncover the buried river, replacing the parking lot with a three-acre public park. The $18.8-million undertaking included an 800-foot-long river diversion, a pedestrian bridge, boardwalks, and a tidal basin, creating 14,000 square feet of new aquatic habitat. Within six months of water flowing through the new river path, the area was already teeming with aquatic life, including turtles, ducks, blue crabs, black-nosed dace, and the endangered American eel.
The project not only revitalized the environment but also spurred redevelopment efforts in the area, including a $7-million renovation of a technology company and a planned apartment tower.
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