Plans for Pier Development May Yet Float

The Hudson River Park Trust is trying to breathe new life into two mixed-use development projects along the waterfront.

Yesterday, the chairwoman of the Hudson River Park Trust, Diana Taylor, said she expects to send out a new request for proposals for Pier 57 in the next couple of months. Plans for developing Pier 57 fell apart in January when developer Steven Witkoff withdrew, putting an end to the estimated $400 million project.

The Trust could also revive the Related Cos. plan to build a permanent New York City home for Cirque du Soleil at Pier 40, near West Houston Street, Ms. Taylor said.

In March, the Trust found that Related's $600 million plan, which also included a space for the TriBeCa Film Festival and rooftop athletic fields, was unfeasible because of Related's demand that it be given a 50-year lease for Pier 40. An extended lease would require a waiver from the state Legislature.

Ms. Taylor said the Trust is waiting to see what the Pier 40 Partnership, a community group formed by neighborhood parents, and the Camp Group, a consortium that organizes day camps, are able to come up with as a counterproposal.

A spokeswoman for Related declined to comment.

Ms. Taylor said the Trust expected 80% of construction for the 550-acre Hudson River Park, which extends five miles along the Manhattan shoreline, to be completed by 2010.