Climate-driven redevelopment project in Battery Park, Manhattan

Wagner Park is located in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan, directly on New York Harbor. As part of one of New York’s most famous public park spaces, the site combines promenades, open spaces, and green areas in close proximity to the water. The area is heavily frequented and, at the same time, subject to specific climatic and structural requirements.

As part of a large-scale new construction and redesign project, the park was equipped with a high-performance, water-permeable paving system in the summer and fall of 2025. The goal was to combine a high-quality design with the requirements for coastal protection, drainage, frost resistance, and long-term durability.

Requirements and Challenges

The location directly on the waterfront placed high demands on the entire paving system. Wagner Park is situated in a coastal area characterized by heavy rainfall, freeze-thaw cycles, salt exposure, and potential flooding events. Following experiences with storm events such as Hurricane Sandy, rainwater and resilience management play a particularly important role in Lower Manhattan.

The surface therefore had to not only meet the aesthetic standards of a prestigious public park but also function as an integral part of the infrastructure. A permeable system was required that could absorb and drain surface water rather than placing additional strain on the existing drainage infrastructure. At the same time, the surface had to withstand high visitor numbers, daily use, and climatic stresses over the long term.

Another unique aspect lay in the design concept: The planners from AECOM and SiteWorks did not want a monotonous surface, but rather a varied paving design featuring natural stone pavers and bound gravel surfaces within a unified system.

ROMEX® Solution

For the implementation, the project team opted for a combined ROMEX® system solution featuring ROMPOX® - 302 CEM-TB, ROMPOX® - 304 CEM-HS, ROMPOX® - D1, and ROMPOX® - 202 DEKO EP. The products were used under the ROMEX® System Warranty (RSG) and, when installed properly, come with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.

The trass bedding (302 CEM-TB) formed the water-permeable and load-bearing base of the system. The trass-containing bedding mortar provides a stable foundation, is frost-resistant, and at the same time allows for very high water permeability. The bonded application, in combination with the bonding slurry (304 CEM-HS), effectively counteracts movement in the paving—a decisive advantage in a heavily used and weather-exposed waterfront area.

ROMPOX® - D1 was used for grouting the natural stone surfaces. The water-permeable two-component paving joint mortar is resistant to frost, de-icing salt, and continuous stress from public use. This makes it particularly suitable for highly frequented plazas and parking areas.

In addition, DEKO EP was used as a chippings binder to integrate bound chippings areas aesthetically into the paving design. The major advantage: both the paved areas and the bound chippings areas could be constructed using the same water-permeable system. This resulted in a technically uniform yet visually diverse surface.

The project was executed by Prestige Stone and Pavers in collaboration with the project partners involved in planning and the public sector.