In the face of rising sea levels, the city is taking extraordinary steps to protect low-lying coastal areas.

That includes remaking the waterfront esplanade in the Battery at the tip of lower Manhattan, which construction crews are currently demolishing in order to build it back better — or more to the point, to build it back higher.

“The part of the park here that’s on the water is a wharf,” said Rohit Aggarwala, commissioner of the city’s Department of Environmental Protection. “It’s built on stilts out onto the water, and we are raising it up so that it will be elevated over the sea level rise that we’ve already begun to experience.”

Monday, city officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking on the project, which is just one element of a larger, multi-billion dollar effort to fortify the city’s waterfront against rising seawaters.

“No one has forgotten the devastation of Hurricane Sandy 12 years ago,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference. “And every day we’re at a race against the next superstorm.”

The project is expected to cost the city $200 million and is scheduled for completion in 2026.

In the meantime, access to the waterfront has been largely cut off as the area has transformed into a construction zone, though ferries to Liberty Island and Ellis Island continue operating.

The rebuilt esplanade will be elevated by 5 feet to account for projected sea level rise over the next 80 years.

“We’ve elevating the wharf, rebuilding the promenade,” said Sue Donoghue, commissioner of the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation. “So there’ll still be the beautiful gardens, there’ll still be the access and the views for people. But it will be elevated so that we can deal with what we know is coming.”