West 59th Street Marine Transfer Station Refurbishment

Originally constructed in the 1930s and re-designed in 1984, the West 59th Street Marine Transfer Station replaced a 19th Century facility whose historic facade was reconstructed as the entrance gateway to the new facility. The facility provides for discharges of 1,200 to 1,500 tons of refuse per day from local collection vehicles onto barges for transport. In keeping with the industrial vernacular of the New York waterfront, the exposed steel structure is clad in metal panels with large areas of translucent fiberglass window walls for natural lighting. At night, neon lights by artist Steven Antonakos outline the primary facade and a row of windows facing north, creating a landmark for motorists entering Midtown.  

Facility condition evaluation of the substructure and superstructure were completed, as well as a detailed architectural, mechanical, electrical and heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) assessment. As a result, the refurbishment facility design included intersection traffic safety improvements for the Hudson River Park bikeway, dust containment measures, new barge slip doors and high-speed doors for the truck ramp, an enhanced dust suppression system and upgrades to the mechanical system. The refurbished station meets current standards for industrial environmental quality.

Project Highlights 

• Historical façade preservation 

• Refurbishment of existing facility 

• Planning, design and construction services 

• Meets industrial environmental quality standards