Seven years after Superstorm Sandy, Staten Island, which was hit with the brunt of the storm's damage, is planning for a new piece of infrastructure as a way to address such events. City and state officials - including Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Congressman Max Rose - have announced that the Stated Island seawall (officially known as the Staten Island Multi-Use Elevated Promenade) has received $400 million in funding from the federal government. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and New York State will spearhead the project moving forward.

The 5.3-mile seawall will connect Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach, one of the neighborhoods hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy. It is designed to function as both a barrier during major flooding events, and a recreational space with a boardwalk, bike paths and beach access. It is expected to reduce flood-related damages on the island by $30 million each year.

The wall is being looked at as the first part of a larger toolkit of interventions to protect Staten Island from future natural disasters. Additional lines of defense might include artificial barrier islands, networks of levees and stormwater detention systems to help mitigate flooding.

The seawall was first proposed in 2015. To read the original proposal from the Army Corps of Engineers, click HERE.