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One of Northern Manhattan’s iconic structures, the High Bridge Water Tower near Amsterdam Avenue and W. 174th Street, has been closed for emergency repairs and will stay that way until $1 million in funding is found.
“The windows are not stable enough,” said Northern Parks Administrator Jennifer Hoppa. “The window frames have significant water damage.”
The Aug. 2 decision comes just before the Highbridge Concerts Series, a showcase of Latino music held every Tuesday this month in the park. Tours of the historic tower were supposed to be led by Urban Park Rangers before each concert, but were canceled after the problem with the window frames was discovered.
In May high winds blew part of the copper roof off the landmarked tower, and knocked out a window. Hoppa said a crane was recently brought in to assess the structural stability of the 162-year-old tower, and found it was physically sound, at least on the outside.
However, officials worry that the wood and Plexiglas windows could give way if someone fell into them. It was also determined that the iron staircase and handrails inside need work as well.
Hoppa said a $1 million funding request has been made, which should cover the new frames and glass in the tower windows and hopefully fund the restoration of a carillon – a musical instrument that chimes. The tower will remain shut until the money is added to the budget by the City Council or through private funding.
The tower has faced some daunting obstacles in the past.
In 1984 a homeless man seeking shelter from the cold lit a fire inside that got out of control, engulfing the roof. Four years and $1 million later the roof was repaired.
The High Bridge, a pedestrian path that links the Bronx and Northern Manhattan, was closed in the 1960s and is undergoing a $60 million renovation and is expected to reopen in 2013 as a pedestrian and bicycle link between the two communities.
In 2008 the Parks Department celebrated a $4.2 million renovation of the access path leading up to the bridge, along with the restoration of the steps that lead to Highbridge Pool.
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