Today Tuesday, March 17th Phase II of Washington Square Park Redesign goes before Landmarks Preservation Commission at 4:15 p.m. Public comment is encouraged. Arrive 3:30 p.m.
The major historical, aesthetic, and cultural usage being destroyed relates to:
* loss of public space in the destruction of four and a half of the six seating alcoves (eastern side of park and southeastern – visible on right side of map). Much utilized and beloved and add character to the Park;
* the reduction in space and usage around Garibaldi/Teen Plaza (area in middle of diagram, to right of fountain circle);
* the removal of the entrance to the park at Thompson Street, shifting it to the east so that it can (like the Fountain) align with the Arch at Fifth Avenue. (Does this represent symmetry run amuk?
*The great reduction of space at the northeast corner (upper right hand corner of diagram). Soon to be a “plaza” (one at each corner of the Park – neat and pretty and functional. No picnic tables allowed).
If you plan to speak at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, please consider orienting your comments to the historical, cultural, and aesthetic aspects of the park’s design plan.
It’s not clear if Community Board 2, Washington Square Park Task Force, Council Speaker Quinn, Council Member Gerson, etc. will weigh in with their feelings to LPC (supposedly against this…)… ? Although the hearing was delayed a month so that, supposedly, the NYC Parks Department could respond to “community” concerns, it appears they made some small modifications to accommodate the Washington Square Music Festival (figuring not doing so would get them in hot water) but did not address any of the community’s other (real) concerns.
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Details: Tuesday, March 17th, arrive 3:30 p.m.; hearing 4:15 p.m. Landmarks Preservation Commission Public Hearing on Washington Square Park Next Phase Redesign, 1 Centre Street (at Chambers), 9th floor, Manhattan
Trains: 2, 3, 4, 5, N, R, J, M, Z (Centre-Chambers Streets, City Hall-Brooklyn Bridge stops)
This plan clearly removes a HUGE amount of ugly blacktop paving, creates MUCH MORE grass, removes a few bad small buildings. You are so frieghten of anything changing it’s insane. The park is a druggie infested dump, it should be a jewel, that’s safe, clean and is constructed with quality materials.
(WSP Blog note: part of a disparaging comment has been removed from this post.)