Passage of the Hudson River Park Act in 1998 guarantees that Hudson River Park will continue to provide green shorelines, open waters, and blue skies for future generations to enjoy. Prohibited throughout the entire project area are residences, hotels, commercial office buildings, casino and riverboat gambling vessels, jet skis, and manufacturing facilities. Commercial development of any sort is prohibited on all but a few piers.

The Hudson River Park Act also designates the park's 400 acres of water as a marine sanctuary, and establishes strict limits on the types of activities that can occur on the water. More than 70 fish species have been reported in the Hudson River estuary, and the park has been designed to preserve their critical habitat.

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