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Governors Island Park Proposal: Hills, Hammocks and Grotto
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 13, 2010
Modified Apr 13, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 13, 2010
Modified Apr 13, 2010
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While covering the ambitious plans to remake Governors Island back April 2008, we optimistically headlined one story "Governors Island Makeover to Start Soon." Well, sooner turned out to be later (though there was a demolition), because the city and state were locking horns over funding for the $260 million project. But now that the Bloomberg administration has taken over the island, it seems that the wheels are turning again. The Master Plan is in the public review stage, the city has committed $41.5 million to the first phase of the development, and now we just need another $220 million to put the polish on it!
What you're looking at here are the latest renderings from Dutch landscape architecture firm West 8. The city's initial $41.5 million will go toward a new ferry landing area at the northern end of the island and a promenade that will eventually encircle the island, but the big money would go toward the ambitious remake of the southern half, which is mostly occupied by Coast Guard barracks and warehouses from the 1970s and ’80s. The focal point is a cluster of big, man-made hills, which will be comprised in part from rubble left over from the demolition of barracks and warehouses. And for those who climb the highest hill, a paved terrace with a 360-degree view of the island’s surroundings will await. (And, presumably, a Shake Shack.)
Throughout the park there will be hammocks, winding paths, woods, "strong-smelling plants," and sprawling meadows. There will be a cafe on the water's edge with a view of the Statue of Liberty. According to Nicolai Ouroussoff at the Times, "a lawn expands out onto the building’s roof, where visitors will be able to climb down through a large hole into a grotto-like shelter open to the water." And two areas of the park have been set aside for unspecified developments, possibly NYU dorms and/or luxury hotels. But it's this vague aspect of the project that worries Ouroussoff, who concludes, "The nature of the developments that flank the park will be critical to determining whether the island feels as if it belongs to all of them, or just to those few who can afford to pay for its upkeep."
Tagged
governors island
park
renderings
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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