Patch.com: A massive $1.45 billion project designed to avoid a repeat of the devastation Hurricane Sandy wreaked on Downtown Manhattan will close the East River Park for years — and has left many locals furious.

Nearly seven years after the storm left Downtown basements flooded and the South Street Seaport a virtual no-go area for months, the city has yet to break ground on the East Side Coastal Resiliency project that’s intended to protect residents from the impacts of climate change.

Last fall, the city overhauled the project after years of community planning, opting for a new design that would bury the East River Park with eight to 10 feet of soil. The new design would require the park to be rebuilt and closed for 3.5 years.

The city says it expects to break ground next March. Read More>>