Hallets Cove restoration will begin in early 2021

A long awaited restoration project for Hallets Cove in Astoria will begin next year. Photo via NYC Parks

By Rachel Vick

A long-awaited plan to restore Hallets Cove Waterfront in Astoria will begin early next year, Councilmember Costa Constantinides said Monday.

Hallets Cove, near Vernon Boulevard and 30th Road, slipped into disrepair and became a popular spot for illegal dumping, which only worsened the problems over the past several years. The plan to revitalize the Coves include removing trash and debris, restoring the riverbank’s wildlife and dismantling a decaying pier known as the “radio tower” that has been closed to the public for years.

“The days of Hallets Cove as a crumbling dumping ground are over,” Constantinides said. “We will make good on a promise to reimagine this waterfront by restoring its ecology.”

The neglected section of the cove is just a few blocks from the Astoria Ferry terminal.

Though Constantinides and then-Borough President Melinda Katz secured $4 million in funding for the project in 2015, the money was only recently released by the Office of Management and Budget. 

Residents of the nearby neighborhoods are excited about the potential for revitalized waterfront, said Astoria Houses Residents Association President Claudia Coger.

“As a lifelong Astoria Houses resident and a lover of the outdoors, I'm especially grateful to see these beginning stages of our waterfront's revival and restoration,” Coger said. “This will ensure that many future generations will be able to access, interact, learn from, and appreciate the beauty of our natural landscape.”