Introducing the Harlem Gateway Waterfront Initiative—an economic development project designed to transform Harlem’s award-winning West Harlem Piers at 125th Street into a one-of-a-kind tourist destination and cultural center employing hundreds of local residents.

Led by Paradise Express Ferry, New York City’s only Black-owned, Harlem-based commercial maritime operator, the goal of the Harlem Gateway Waterfront Initiative is to create a dynamic economic development engine that will mitigate the higher unemployment rates and negative health outcomes experienced in a historic African American community.

The program comes to life through a series of scalable waterfront developments and attractions designed to draw thousands of local visitors from communities across the Hudson River, such as Edgewater, Fort Lee, Hoboken, and other parts of New York City and the Tri-State Area.

This will serve as an entry point into Harlem and its famed 125th Street, which includes Columbia University’s new $6 billion Manhattanville campus, the world-famous Apollo Theater, the Studio Museum in Harlem, and connects with famous local restaurants such as Sylvia’s, Melba’s, and Red Rooster, as well as popular national franchises such as Olive Garden and Red Lobster.

The Harlem Gateway Waterfront Initiative will stimulate local spending, create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in the maritime, entertainment, and related sectors in the community, and encourage business growth along the waterfront. This will generate much needed tax revenue for New York City, and revitalize a community hard-hit by systemic inequities laid bare by the pandemic.

Read the full story

The Plan in Three Phases

Experience an exhilarating sightseeing adventure aboard a US Coast Guard registered 90-passenger high-speed boat. Tours will focus on the unique historic and cultural aspects of the Upper Manhattan waterfront, with longer tours available to Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

Offers 6 to 8 affordable family-centric tours daily, attracting an estimated 50,000 visitors per season.
Provides 25 locally sourced positions, ranging from Captain and Deckhand, Drone Operations, Customer Service, Mobile Education, and Security.
Creates additional employment opportunities through a workforce development program for area operators such as Circle Line, NY Waterway, Hornblower, and NYC Ferry.

State-of-the-art drones deliver stunning imagery and videos for purchase via a cloud-enabled platform.
Future expansion will include new tours and vessels for additional experiences in New York City and other domestic and international markets.

Inaugural Season Launching: Summer 2022

The details

Rising 180 feet above the West Harlem Piers, the Harlem Wheel will provide breathtaking views of New York City, the New Jersey Palisades, the George Washington Bridge, Riverside Cathedral, Grant’s Tomb, and more!

Inspired by the success of the Seattle Great Wheel and The Capital Wheel as examples of effective waterfront development, the Harlem Wheel has the potential to become an iconic New York landmark, attracting visitors from across the Hudson River, the Tri-State area, and around the globe.

An affordable family attraction, with adult tickets targeted at around $20 and child/senior tickets at around $15, it is expected to attract over 1 million visitors annually.
Provides up to 50 year-round positions from the Harlem and adjacent Washington Heights communities, as well as an additional 200+ construction jobs.

The influx of visitors and spending would infuse and support existing restaurants in the area and spur additional locally-owned commercial development significantly benefiting the greater Harlem neighborhood.
A revenue-sharing agreement with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation could contribute sustainable income to the Riverside Park Conservancy and Parks Department for years to come.

Projected Opening: Summer 2024

The details

Honor the past while reshaping the future with the creation of the Harlem Maritime Center & Museum. Operated as a non-profit, the center will be the first institution of its kind to recognize the significant contributions of people of color to US and international maritime history and achievement.

Department of Sanitation 135th Street Marine Transfer Station

Convert the former Department of Sanitation’s 135th Street Marine Transfer Station, located just south of Riverbank State Park, and vacant since 1999, to a 50,000-square-foot maritime technology training center and museum.
Showcase notable Americans of color, including:
- Crispus Attucks, a sailor and stevedore who was the first person killed at the Boston Massacre to start the American Revolution in 1776.
- Matthew Henson, often attributed to be the first of his expedition group to reach the North Pole in 1909.
- Seaman Doris Miller, the first African American awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism during the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941.
- Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez, the first Latin American in space as part of the Soyuz 38 mission in 1980.
- Ron McNair, NASA astronaut who died during the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster in 1986.
- LTJG Madeline Swegle, who became the first Black female fighter pilot in the US Navy in 2020.

Designated as the city's first carbon-neutral zone, the center will be designed to have minimal environmental impact.
It will utilize renewable energy systems including wind, tidal turbines, and solar, and prioritize access by hybrid and electric vehicles.
Cutting-edge digital technologies such as AI, AR, and a fiber-optic broadband network will enable engaging interactions with unique historical collections.
Discussions are in progress to dock hybrid research vessels operated by local colleges and universities, performing critical environmental research activities in the Hudson River and along the East Coast.
The facility will also include a cold storage and distribution center, providing the Harlem community, which has been designated as a food desert, increased access to fresh, healthier foods.

Projected Opening: Summer 2026

The details

The Plan in Three Phases

Offers 6 to 8 affordable family-centric tours daily, attracting an estimated 50,000 visitors per season.
Provides 25 locally sourced positions, ranging from Captain and Deckhand, Drone Operations, Customer Service, Mobile Education, and Security.
State-of-the-art drones deliver stunning imagery and videos for purchase via a cloud-enabled platform.
Future expansion will include new tours and vessels for additional experiences in New York City and other domestic and international markets.
Creates additional employment opportunities through a workforce development program for area operators such as Circle Line, NY Waterway, Hornblower, and NYC Ferry.

Inaugural Season Launching: Summer 2022

An affordable family attraction, with adult tickets targeted at around $15 and child/senior tickets at around $13, it is expected to attract over 1 million visitors annually.
Provides up to 50 year-round positions from the Harlem and adjacent Washington Heights communities, as well as an additional 200+ construction jobs.
The influx of visitors and spending would infuse and support existing restaurants in the area and spur additional locally-owned commercial development significantly benefiting the greater Harlem neighborhood.
A revenue-sharing agreement with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation could contribute sustainable income to the Riverside Park Conservancy and Parks Department for years to come.

Projected Opening: Summer 2024

Convert the former Department of Sanitation’s 135th Street Marine Transfer Station, located just south of Riverbank State Park, and vacant since 1999, to a 50,000-square-foot maritime technology training center and museum.
Showcase notable Americans of color, including:
- Crispus Attucks, a sailor and stevedore who was the first person killed at the Boston Massacre to start the American Revolution in 1776.
- Matthew Henson, often attributed to be the first of his expedition group to reach the North Pole in 1909.
- Seaman Doris Miller, the first African American awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism during the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941.
- Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez, the first Latin American in space as part of the Soyuz 38 mission in 1980.
- Ron McNair, NASA astronaut who died during the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster in 1986.
- LTJG Madeline Swegle, who became the first Black female fighter pilot in the US Navy in 2020.
Designated as the city's first carbon-neutral zone, the center will be designed to have minimal environmental impact.
It will utilize renewable energy systems including wind, tidal turbines, and solar, and prioritize access by hybrid and electric vehicles.
Cutting-edge digital technologies such as AI, AR, and a fiber-optic broadband network will enable engaging interactions with unique historical collections.
Discussions are in progress to dock hybrid research vessels operated by local colleges and universities, performing critical environmental research activities in the Hudson River and along the East Coast.
The facility will also include a cold storage and distribution center, providing the Harlem community, which has been designated as a food desert, increased access to fresh, healthier foods.

Projected Opening: Summer 2026

Recent News

Here you can learn more about our latest project developments.

Initiative Earns CADC Award

Recently, the Harlem Gateway Waterfront Initiative’s creative agency of record, Haddad & Partners, earned a Silver Award from the Connecticut Art Directors Club for their work for the initiative’s branding and logo system.

August 31, 2021 READ MORE

Rebuilding the Post-Pandemic Economy

The pandemic has created an inflection point in our lifetime. There is no denying the negative effects the pandemic has had on national and local economies, where the travel, leisure, and hospitality industries have all but come to a standstill. It is also clear that the pandemic has had a disproportionately negative impact on communities of color.

New York City, in an effort to both regain tourism prominence and improve employment conditions, will need to implement innovative concepts to safely attract local and regional travelers, and will need to broaden those offerings to be more inclusive.

AAA projects that as a result of the pandemic, up to 70 million automobile-enabled vacations will take place in the US annually for the foreseeable future, as travelers remain wary of airline travel. Experts feel that most travel will be local or regional, primarily by automobile, but also by ferry operations such as those around New York City, and from across the Hudson River from New Jersey.

Harlem has a population of approximately 200,000 people, with a median income of slightly more than $47,000.

Harlem has a population of approximately 200,000 people, with a median income of slightly more than $47,000. Nearby New Jersey communities including Edgewater, Hoboken, and Newport, all between 10 and 20 minutes away from the West Harlem Piers, have a combined population of over 400,000 persons, with average median incomes between $72,000 and $104,000. In total, the area provides a ready source of visitors with the means and desire for additional waterfront experiences.

Nearby New Jersey communities including Edgewater, Hoboken, and Newport, all between 10 and 20 minutes away from the West Harlem Piers, have a combined population of over 400,000 persons, with average median incomes between $72,000 and $104,000. In total, the area provides a ready source of visitors with the means and desire for additional waterfront experiences.

Outdoor and maritime venues, including waterfront activities, are embraced by most as safe and are easily addressed with additional safety protocols, such as wearing masks, wiping down surfaces, providing hand sanitizer, and limiting seating, all of which have significant appeal to the public.

The Harlem Gateway Waterfront Initiative addresses many of the critical needs of the post-pandemic period. It will create a unique, regionally oriented platform that will dictate safety, embrace and showcase multiculturalism, utilize a variety of cutting-edge digital technologies to celebrate the historical contributions of people of color to the maritime world, and establish a sustainable and scalable ecosystem that ensures the well-being of the employee, as the foundation for their families and their communities.

We hope you’ll join us!