Mayor proposes Lower East Side 'Seaport City' to combat flooding

Downtown Manhattan's footprint could get wider under Mayor Michael Bloomberg plan for a "Stronger, More Resilient New York."

Bloomberg pushed for the creation of a man-made addition to lower Manhattan that aims to abate the excessive flooding that occurs on the Lower East Side. His "Seaport City" proposal would emulate Battery Park City with a new community located south of the Brooklyn Bridge.

"Such a protection system would be a major change to the coastal edge and require consideration of water quality, the river ecology, and integration into the existing urban fabric," the report said.

The proposed neighborhood would stretch from the Battery Maritime Building to Pier 35 and include state-of-the-art levees.

New businesses and residential properties would be created to fill the space, the mayor said.