Long one of the city’s great public spaces, Union Square Park is known to New Yorkers both 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 third and final phase of the renovation of Union Square Park, the North End Project, will complete restoration of one of New York City's most important and historic public places. The planned improvements include unifying the two existing playgrounds, which will nearly triple its total size from 5,135 square feet to 15,307 feet; planting trees along the northern and western perimeters of the park; repaving the public plaza; rehabilitating the historic Pavilion; and creating new public restrooms for park users including a men's room and women's room as well as dedicated family room with dedicated access from the playground.

The North End Project is a collaboration between the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation and the Union Square Partnership. The Parks Department has sought and received public comment on the project, which has been approved by the Art Commission and supported by the local community board. The principal purposes are to rehabilitate physically deteriorated features of Union Square Park, and to maximize its accessibility and usability.

This Week's Construction Update

A whirlwind of activity resumed at the site last week following the resolution of the drivers' strike hampering construction deliveries across the City. Concrete was poured to finalize the west playground retaining wall, and new granite curbs were installed along the northern edge of the site. The curbs are a first step toward completion of the underground tree insulation wall, sidewalk and tree pits intended to line 17th Street. Efforts to excavate, clean and underpin the pavilion structure to support the basement offices also continued.

Now that the retaining walls have begun to take shape, the full extent of the expanded playground is clearly evident. Delivery of soil last week further delineated the playground and now gives a sense of where landscaped areas will teem with beautiful new plant life.

This week, soil will be delivered to backfill the tree pit trench along 17th Street, and lighting conduits will be installed along the length of the northern perimeter. Once this work is done, the temporary pedestrian walkway will be relocated from the center of the site to its northern edge. Pavement removal will then commence, clearing the way to begin installation of the plaza's site drainage system.

Question of the Week

Question:  Why are different soil types necessary to sustain project landscaping?

Answer:  Soil content and layering for the North End Project has been engineered to maximize the lifespan of trees and shrubs given the site's dense urban context.  The deepest soil layer consists of six inches of porous sand spread over the landscape underdrain structure.  The middle planting layer, where the bulk of root systems will be located, will consist of a mix of soil and sand that will prevent soil from compacting and thereby facilitate healthy root growth.  The top layer will consist of approximately six to twelve inches of organically rich soil that will percolate down through the tree root systems and provide them with valuable nutrients.  Each autumn, when leaves fall to the tree pits and playground, organic matter will again replenish the topsoil on an annual basis.  

Past Construction Updates

July 30, 2008

July 10, 2008

June 18, 2008

June 11, 2008

June 2, 2008

May 26, 2008

May 19, 2008