Our Public/Private Partnership approach combines public resources, private capital, and philanthropic support.

• Revenue-backed bonds, supported by both public entities and private, mission-driven investors
• Public funding, through state and federal grants, environmental bonds, and other public sources—with strong early support from elected officials
• A targeted philanthropic campaign, backed by Courageous’ decades-long history of donor support and a compelling case for investment in this once-in-a-generation opportunity

We’ve already secured over $1M in foundational support and early individual commitments, and our Board and working group partners are aligned around scaling this vision.

Our number one priority is providing and maintaining public access to the harbor. Rumors that private equity or for-profit entities are involved are baseless. The proposal includes no funding from private equity or global entertainment companies. Our financial plan follows a public/private partnership structure, which is necessitated by the RFP’s public benefit requirements. Our proposal delivers on the public benefit requirements in the form of publicly accessible green space, swimming, sailing, classrooms, gathering spaces, and a science initiative for harbor resiliency and education. The free public benefits are coupled with mission-aligned ticketed public activities and periodic private usage of the site facilities. Together, these produce revenue to help fund the project in lieu of 100% public financing.

Our team includes a wide range of leading local and national organizations with the necessary expertise to bring the Courageous Pier 5 proposal from the award designation stage through permitting and construction, and to provide experienced professional management for the facilities' operations.

Most project revenue in the pro-forma goes directly to cover payroll for local employees, facility maintenance, and financing of the debt to pay for the project. Our proposal is to share any remaining operating income between Courageous—so we can provide more free programming to underserved kids—and the City.

We strongly believe that the waterfront is a public resource to be enjoyed by all, and the proposal is first and foremost committed to public access. We look forward to working with our neighbors and the City to develop the details of our activation plan, which would balance operational needs with a deep respect for community input and quality of life. Most of Pier 5, just like Pier 4 is today, will remain freely accessible to the public even when events or programs are taking place in portions of the space.

For reference, Courageous today hosts up to 25 open air events under its seasonal tent on Pier 4. Being a conscientious neighbor is important to Courageous. During these events, Courageous has staff assigned to monitor event noise levels and address any neighborhood concerns.

Pier 5’s year round indoor and outdoor facility is designed to enable Courageous to operate with less noise disruption than caused by outdoor events currently taking place under the tent on Pier 4.

The Navy Yard hosts approximately 2 million visitors annually and is celebrated as a public transit-oriented and accessible destination. We have no plans to include parking and are encouraging use of multi-modal transit options that currently exist to come to the Pier.

Our preliminary traffic circulation plan gives careful consideration to pedestrian access, vehicular traffic for drop-off ,and service vehicle use (deliveries, trash removal, emergency access). Pedestrians and drop-off vehicles will have multiple access points including along First Avenue and the turnarounds at the bases of Piers 4 and 5. Our service vehicle plan was designed so vehicles would not be parking or using the Pier 5 turnaround. Instead they will primarily proceed to Flagship Way Avenue or the Pier 4 turnaround, where they would be met with electric carts to bring items to Pier 5. Please see the Circulation Plan, on pages 40-43 of the proposal, for diagrams and more details.

The two story vertical structure has been carefully designed based on local community involvement. The building's vertical height was kept within the 35’ RFP recommendation. Further minimizing the impact on harbor views from land, the gentle slope of the building’s ascent reaches its 35’ maximum height approximately 250’ from the shoreline, and only 23% of the existing Pier 5 footprint will be taller than a single story. To minimize noise, the main gathering spaces and pool were placed on the sea side of the building. These design elements and the green roof were included to achieve the site's public benefit while maintaining harbor views and a peaceful environment for neighboring properties.  

Here is a rendering of the view from the Flagship Wharf mid-building balcony. See proposal pages 69 to 72 for additional details and drawings.

As a resilient community resource engineered to stand up to rising sea levels and climate change, the plan calls for sustainable materials, green stormwater management solutions, and nature-based wave protection systems and embedded monitoring technology that would serve as both functional infrastructure and educational tools.

As a "Science Pier," it provides marine research institutions with direct harbor access, and promotes collaboration among research institutions studying climate adaptation.

The proposal offers multiple community benefits:

• Educational opportunities through Courageous programs, aligned marine science programming, and research partnerships
• Recreation through the harbor pool, public gathering spaces, and waterfront access
• Job creation associated with expanded Courageous Sailing programming and the operation of the facility
• Indoor and outdoor community meeting spaces for local organizations
• Enhanced public engagement with the waterfront through “Science Pier” programs and activities
• A model of resilient design, paired with smart intervention strategies, in the face of climate change

Our proposal would enable Courageous to eliminate our waitlist and ensure that all children and families who want to participate in our multi-week programs are able to, and would create the capacity to bring over 10,000 additional children from across the city and the region to the site for learning field trips and sailing outings. The proposal enhances youth services through:

• Expanded classroom spaces for marine science and sailing education.
• Year-round programming capabilities with indoor facilities.
• Research partnerships providing advanced STEM opportunities.
• A harbor-fed pool enabling swimming lessons and water safety education.
• Collaboration spaces for community youth organizations.