August 22, 2017

Plaza at Queens Borough Hall Rededicated as “Women’s Plaza”

Contact:
Ian Michaels
718-391-1589

Kew Gardens, NY -  Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio of the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) joined Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, Councilmember Barry Grodenchik and State Senator Leroy Comrie today to dedicate the renovated plaza and fountain at Queens Borough Hall as Women’s Plaza, a tribute to the women of Queens.

Located at the corner of Union Turnpike and Queens Boulevard, the plaza is the former home of the statue “Civic Virtue” by sculptor Frederick MacMonnies. The statue was relocated to Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn in 2012, leaving behind the former fountain that had served as its base since 1941, when the statue was relocated to Queens from City Hall Park in Manhattan.

DDC Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio (center) prepares to cut the ribbon at the new Women’s Plaza with (l to r) State Supreme Court Justice Hon. Carmen Velasquez, former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, State Senator Leroy Comrie and Councilmember Barry Grodenchik

A $980,000 capital project, managed by DDC for the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Service (DCAS), has now restored the fountain base and surrounding plaza area, repairing broken pavement and deteriorating stone and marble, adding new seating and lighting, and installing new trees and plantings throughout the plaza and in the fountain base.

“Queens Borough Hall, a building with a strong history of female leadership, now has its own Women’s Plaza honoring the women of the borough,” said DDC Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio. “DDC is very pleased to be able to build this beautiful new addition to the neighborhood.”

Prior to reconstruction by DDC, the fountain base at Women’s Plaza shows the effect of years of aging, with cracked stone, discolored marble and weeds growing between broken pavement

“Queens has been home to so many incredible, trail-blazing women across all industries, from business to politics, sports to entertainment,” said Borough President Katz. “The Women’s Plaza in Queens – located in our borough’s civic center – is a visible, meaningful tribute to all the women of Queens who have made a lasting positive impact in New York City and around the globe. This newly-restored public space at Queens Borough Hall should be utilized by many, and will serve as a reminder of how far we’ve come and how much further we must go.”

Work was completed by Prespective Construction Company of Brooklyn.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s lenses of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, new or upgraded roadways, sewers, water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative, and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to city projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.