New York City is moving forward with a plan to put the “park” back in Park Avenue. The Department of Transportation released a request for proposals (RFP) on Tuesday seeking designs to transform the traffic medians on Park Avenue between East 46th Street and East 57th Street with more green space and pedestrian-friendly areas.
The 11 blocks of Park Avenue designated for a redesign sit above the Grand Central Terminal Train Shed, which is currently being rebuilt by the city and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The project includes replacing the train shed roof and waterproofing the structure. The median transformation project will happen at the same time as the below-ground train shed work since it requires parts of Park Avenue to be removed and reconstructed in stages.
The city will restore Park Avenue with a larger median for pedestrians, lush landscaping, and seating. The significant redesign will vastly improve public space, promote sustainable transit options, and nurture a sense of community among residents and visitors.
“High-quality public spaces aren’t just a luxury — they’re a necessity, and they’re a vital component of our vision to revitalize commercial corridors like Midtown and build a safer, more affordable, better city for all New Yorkers,” Adams said. “Our ambitious project will ensure that as the MTA completes its underground structural work, the Park Avenue that goes back on top will be better than ever, with more space for people to enjoy the greatest city in the world.”
The MTA has begun work on Park Avenue between East 47th and East 48th Street, which will be the first block to feature a wider median when the street is restored, with completion expected in early 2025.
In the RFP, the DOT seeks a contractor with expertise in landscape architecture or urban design to fill in the wider median with pedestrian upgrades, bike infrastructure, landscaping, and other streetscape amenities.
“We’re putting the ‘park’ back in Park Avenue! This project will transform this iconic stretch of Manhattan’s Park Avenue by adding greenery and making important safety improvements. The Adams administration continues to reimagine public space in record ways,” DOT Commissioner Rodriguez said.
“This street redesign is a key piece of a new vision for East Midtown, and we look forward to identifying a partner to make this vision a reality.”
In January 2022, City Council Member Keith Powers announced the next steps in a plan to bring life to Park Avenue’s medians. The plan aimed to gradually transform the avenue’s malls into “new, world-class, active open space” over a 20-year period as Metro-North continues its Grand Central Terminal Train Shed rehabilitation project.
The announcement comes after a 2018 competition sponsored by the Fisher Brothers to find ideas to transform, and bring attention to, the Park Avenue medians. The ambitious ideas included everything from a huge aquarium to a High Line-esque walkway. The winner was “Park Park,” which transformed the iconic thoroughfare with a series of raised platforms to hold concert space, art galleries, a restaurant, and more, as 6sqft reported.
“Reimagining the streetscape along Park Avenue is vital to enhancing New York’s premier central business district and maintaining our status as a top-tier forward-thinking international city,” Winston Fisher, partner at Fisher Brothers, said.
“I want to applaud Mayor Adams, his administration, and Commissioner Rodriguez for embracing this type of project. It should be used as a model going forward for transforming underutilized public space into curated and engaging landscapes that will spur economic activity. I’m excited to see the creative concepts for bringing Park Avenue to life and to continue to champion this work.”
Park Avenue’s redesign is one part of the Adam administration’s broader effort to expand public space in Midtown. Other projects currently in planning or underway include the “Broadway Vision” plan, which would ban cars on some blocks and create more pedestrian space along the famous corridor, and similar plans for Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park.
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