Governors Island welcomes nearly 400,000 visitors during its 2013 summer season
In order to keep pace with an aggressive schedule to update Island infrastructure and create the extraordinary park, the southern half of the Island was closed to visitors during the 2013 season. However this didn’t deter the Island’s three hundred and ninety eight thousand visitors, (a 15% increase on last years numbers), from visiting the rest of the island during the 40 day weekend and holiday Monday season.
Visitors to the Island enjoyed such events as the Fete Paradiso; a festival of vintage carousels and carnival rides from Europe, and more than 60 new and returning programs. The specially erected viewing platform at Liggett Arch also enabled visitors to watch the construction underway and free hard hat tours were offered to the general public and a broad range of organizations.
On the last weekend of the public season, the park construction site was opened to the public. More than 5,000 visitors walked through, enjoying the views of the Statue of Liberty from behind the sports fields currently under construction and thousands of newly planted trees. Signs throughout the site, staff members and additional free tours provided information about the new park spaces, which open to the public in May 2014.
In November the construction of 30 new acres of park and public spaces, designed by West 8, will be completed. An official commemoration ceremony will be hosted by Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City and Ronay Menschel, Chair of the Trust for Governors Island. Details about the event will feature in our November newsletter.
The new park spaces include Liggett Terrace, a sunny, 6 acre plaza with seasonal plantings, seating, water features and public art; Hammock Grove, a shady 10 acre space that is home to 1,500 new trees, play areas and hammocks; and the Play Lawn, 14 acres for play and relaxation that includes two turf ball fields sized for adult softball and Little League baseball. The Hills, an additional 10 acres of park, are currently under construction and will open to the public in May 2015.
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