NYCs East River Esplanade closed for fourth summer in a row as residents rage over never-ending construction: Embarrassment to New York

The start of summer made blistering waves this week — but the record-breaking heat only reminded Upper East Siders that they were entering yet another season without access to their waterfront esplanade.This summer marks the fourth in a row that the East River Esplanade has been severed between 70th and 78th streets as part of an excruciating construction project that has breezed past numerous estimated completion dates — enraging residents eager to get their neighborhood back.The seven-block stretch of waterfront pathway won’t be open again to the public until 2026, The Post has learned — more than two years after initially promised.“This has been going on for years, which is crazy to me,” said Jennifer Ratner, the board chair and founder of the Friends of the East River Esplanade.“They say they’re paying overages, but I don’t really care.They need to return it better than it was and ensure the waterfront is continuous … This isn’t rocket science.”Residents were originally on board with the esplanade’s closure back in 2021 when the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) kicked off its project to build a new, 12-story tower that mimics an existing structure over the FDR Drive at 71st Street.In exchange for being allowed to shut down the space, HSS had promised to beautify the seven-block stretch.The new Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Tower will span 100,000 square feet when completed and will increase hospital capacity by 25%, but it hit numerous snags when crews discovered three sinkholes at the site.The initial opening date was slated for the fall of 2024, with neighbors anticipating that the esplanade would be reopened sometime in 2023 as crews put the finishing touches on the building — but their dreams were quickly dashed.Emails shared with The Post from last July indicate HSS was aiming to reopen “for as much as summer of 2025 as possible,” but the can was kicked yet again down the road.The construction site is still a mess of expos...