Keeping Union Square Vibrant: The Daily Work of Our Teams
What does it take to keep Union Square the vibrant and welcoming place we all love? It's a year-round effort powered by our dedicated Clean & Safe Teams, who work every day to maintain the neighborhood’s streets, parks, and plazas.
Maintaining a Welcoming Space: The Clean Team
Our Clean Team is the backbone of Union Square, working 365 days a year to keep the area spotless. Their work goes far beyond basic cleanup. They're responsible for everything from sweeping streets and plazas to removing graffiti and power washing sidewalks. The dedicated men and women of the Clean Team also manage over 600 pieces of bistro furniture, ensuring the many public seating areas are clean and ready for you to use. The expert management of these amenities makes Union Square feel so inviting to residents, workers, and visitors alike.
Special thanks to our Clean Team supervisors from Streetplus: Inza Konate, Samba Doucoure, and Bamba Daouda, who lead these daily efforts.
Public Safety as a Priority
Since its launch in the summer of 2023, our Public Safety Program has made a significant impact on community well-being. Our Public Safety Officers (PSOs) are ambassadors for Union Square Partnership and a constant, visible presence throughout the neighborhood and Union Square Park. In their first full year, they conducted over 29,000 visits to local businesses and residences and engaged with the community more than 3,900 times. This proactive approach has clearly made a difference: our 2024 Community Opinion Survey showed a 15% improvement in the perception of public safety in the district.
We'd also like to thank Paul Hawker, our public safety officer's supervisor from Excel Security Corp., for his leadership.
Bringing Beauty to the Streets
Union Square Partnership also plays a major role in the neighborhood's beautification. We provide landscaping care for Union Square Park's lawns and gardens, as well as for the planters in the Broadway and University Place plazas. This past year, our team refreshed over 100 planters with new seasonal plantings and partnered with The Victoria to install new tree pit plantings along 14th Street, creating a cohesive and vibrant look throughout the district.
We couldn't do this work without our valued partner, Buffamante Landscaping, Inc., whose expertise helps keep our neighborhood beautiful.
Our Clean & Safe Teams, under the expert leadership of Union Square Partnership’s Director of Operations Thomas DiRusso and Assistant Director of Operations McLawrence Glynn, keep Union Square vibrant and thriving. Their critical work ensures our neighborhood remains clean, safe, and beautiful for everyone to enjoy.
