Long one of New
York City’s great public spaces, Union Square Park
is known as a stage for historic events and a hub
for daily activity. Originally opened in
1839, the current renovation of Union Square Park
has been ongoing since the 1980’s. The first phase
rebuilt the area south of 16th Street, creating
new, redesigned paths and lighting. In 2002,
the second phase reconstructed and expanded the
park’s southeastern triangle and southwest
border. The North End Project, the third and
final phase, will redevelop and expand the
outdated playgrounds, rehabilitate the historic
Pavilion, and redesign the north plaza to support
Greenmarket farmers and greater use of
parkland.
This is the first of
series of regular email updates to keep the Union
Square community and public informed about the
project’s progress as construction moves
forward. The Union Square Partnership is
also working with the NYC Department of Parks and
Recreation to address any issues that arise
throughout the duration of construction
period.
This Week's
Construction
Update
Construction has
officially begun and is in full swing. The
Parks Department is managing project
construction, and Padilla Construction Services
(PCS) is the General Contractor.
Much
of the initial phase of construction involves
demolition work to prepare the site
for utilities, and eventual new design
treatments for the plaza, playground and pavilion
areas. PCS has fenced off the construction
area and has been tearing up the asphalt paving in
preparation for utility trench work. They
have also excavated a trench along 17th Street
that will house a concrete wall to insulate the
planned row of Japanese Pagoda trees from an
existing steam pipe beneath the roadbed.
Previous attempts to maintain trees along the
northern perimeter of the park had failed because
of the proximity to the steam pipe, and the
concrete wall will shelter tree roots and
allow them to flourish.
PCS has begun
work on the interior of the
Pavilion in preparation for structural
rehabilitation and facade preservation. They
have also removed the former playground
equipment, and begun to demolish the east and west
playground areas. The retaining walls and
dirt fill will be removed, including
some existing trees and shrubs, to make room
for the playground’s expansion and restroom
facility. If possible, the small flowering
trees and shrubs will be transplanted to
a location either within Union Square Park or
elsewhere. Once the playground is
complete, it will be triple the size of the
existing ones, expanding from 5,000 to 15,000
square feet, and will be lush with many new shade
and flowering trees. Overall, we will be
planting more than 50 new trees as part of the
project.
Don’t forget the Union
Square Greenmarket is fully operational and
accommodated on site throughout construction so
stop during their regularly scheduled hours of
operation Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturdays
from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM to pick up some of this
season’s bounty.
Stay tuned for more
updates in the coming weeks and
months.
