MAYOR GIULIANI UNVEILS THE "NEW" GREAT LAWN AFTER TWO-YEAR, $18.2 MILLION RESTORATION PROJECT IS COMPLETED
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today unveiled the completely renovated Great Lawn in Central Park after a two-year, $18.2 million reconstruction facelift that revamped the entire 55-acre lawn and surrounding park land. The restoration is the most ambitious project in the 135-year history of Central Park and is the centerpiece of a $71.5 million public/private initiative between the City and non-profit Central Park Conservancy. Joining the Mayor at the ribbon cutting ceremony were Parks Commissioner Henry J. Stern and Conservancy Chairman Ira M. Millstein.
"I often say New York City is the Capital of the World," Mayor Giuliani said. "With the restoration of the Great Lawn -- the site where so many historic events have taken place, Pope John Paul II's Mass, Disney's Pocahontas, and the Luciano Pavarotti and Paul Simon concerts -- 20 million park visitors a year will once again have the chance to visit the jewel of the City's parks. Thanks to Commissioner Stern's leadership, our City's parks have never looked better now with a more than 90 percent cleanliness rating -- the highest since the current rating system was implemented."
"From 79th to 86th Street, from the East to West Drive, New Yorkers now have acres of Kentucky Bluegrass upon which to toss a softball, read their favorite book or listen to the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera performances," the Mayor said. "I want to thank the Conservancy and Trustee Richard Gilder for their investment in the future of New York City and their commitment to restore one of New York City's greatest treasures," the Mayor concluded.
In 1995, the Great Lawn was in disrepair from intense use and poor drainage. The lawn suffered from severe erosion and, over the years, silt runoff began endangering the aquatic life in Turtle Pond. Thanks to the initial commitment of $10.9 million from Richard Gilder, the Great Lawn's restoration efforts were begun in 1995. To ensure the success of the project, the City followed with a $4.3 million capital contribution and the Conservancy donated $3 million.
Commissioner Stern said, "Sixty years after its birth on an abandoned reservoir, the Great Lawn has come to life as a blaze of green for sport and pleasure."
"The Great Lawn restoration is a climactic moment in the Conservancy's 17-year history of restoring Central Park," Conservancy Chairman Ira M. Millstein said. "Not since the Park's creation has a project of such extraordinary scale taken place."
The Lawn now features new pedestrian paths that provide safer, more accessible routes for all Central Park visitors. Beginning in the Spring of 1998, sports teams will be able to play on eight rebuilt clay softball fields and renovated basketball courts, as well as two new volleyball courts. In Fall 1998, soccer will be permitted on the north fields without cleats.
Turtle Pond, just south of the Great Lawn, is also restored with a naturalistic shoreline with native plantings and an island to attract wildlife. Birds and turtles will a find a deeper pond with fresher water while birdwatchers and visitors alike will have a "nature blind" to view the wildlife unobtrusively through a camouflaged blind. New plantings, benches, lights and drinking fountains, accessible to the physically challenged, have also been added. An extensive, 31,000 foot underground drainage and irrigation system has been installed to keep the lawns green and to control excessive rainfall.
The Great Lawn consists of more than 500,000 square feet of hearty Kentucky Bluegrass, 25,000 cubic yards of soil specially engineered to resist compaction, 22,500 linear feet of storm turf and sub-surface drainage lines, and 11,000 linear feet of irrigation lines with 275 pop-up sprinklers. While the majority of construction is complete and the Lawn appears ready, the grass will need a full year to develop the deep roots that will enable it to withstand the vigorous use it will get when activities return in full swing.
This is the first complete renovation of the Lawn, which was once known as the Lower Croton Receiving Reservoir. Built in 1842, the reservoir was drained in the 1930s and the Great Lawn became a landscape for recreation in 1936.
The Central Park Conservancy is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1980 that manages Central Park in partnership with the City of New York/Parks & Recreation. Through private donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations, the Conservancy funds major capital improvements, provides horticultural care and management, and offers programs for volunteers and visitors. The Conservancy invites all Central Park visitors to become partners in taking care of the park to ensure that it remains a beautiful place for leisure, recreation, and the appreciation of nature.
The Conservancy estimates that it will cost $650,000 each year to maintain the restored lawn. To ensure its future care, the Conservancy is building a $7 million endowment.
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