Battery Maritime Building - Tourist Attractions in New York City

Designed by the firm Walker and Morris in a Beaux-Arts style, the landmarked Battery-Maritime Building was originally paired with a twin, the Staten Island Terminal. Completed in 1909, the Battery Maritime Building possesses an intriguing composition of architectural metals, including cast iron, rolled steel, and stamped zinc and copper. One of the building's feature elements included a stained glass laylight in the Main Concourse, which has since been roofed over.
The under utilized ferry terminal has suffered severe deterioration due to a lack of maintenance and loss of significant architectural features during a 1957 alteration / addition. With the structural stabilization of the terminal a priority, the New York Department of Transportation retained the Pokorny firm to prepare a comprehensive Exterior and Structural Conditions Survey. The proposal for phase one would complete required repairs to the roof and north facade and correct serious life safety and water infiltration concerns. The firm is currently negotiating the preparation of construction documents for the stabilization of the terminal roof and north facade.





The restoration of the landmark Battery Maritime Building (BMB), located at the southern tip of Manhattan next to the recently rebuilt Whitehall Ferry Terminal, began in 2001 thanks to a $58 million investment by the city Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Plans for project were developed in the late 1990s, when the BMB's cast-iron façade was held together by layers of drab green paint over crusts of rust.
Now most elements of the project are complete. Work included the installation of a new exterior-lighting and gutter system and the restoration of stucco panels, the mansard and flat-area roofs, and the fourth-floor veranda. The final phase of work, which rehabilitated Slip 5, wrapped up in mid-2006.
In March 2006, the EDC issued an Request For Proposal (RFP) for the building's redevelopment of 140,000 square feet of indoor space, potentially for use as a public market. The winning proposal is expected in the second half of 2006, and will include use of the building for access to Governors Island.