Description

“Commissioned by the Battery Park City Authority to design its largest open space, CLHS principals worked as a team. Besides serving residents of Battery Park City, the Authority intended the resulting park to address the green space and recreational needs of the Lower Manhattan Community. Gary Hack led the community process. Based on community input and the client's desires, Steve Carr developed a detailed progam for the park and Jim Sandell sketched alternative designs for review and selection by the community and the client. Upon agreement of the overall plan and its key venues, Carr then led the detailed design working with consultants Oeme van Sweden for planting, Johansson & Walcavage for the playground design and Tom Otterness for his superb art installations, with continuing input from Hack and Sandell. As the design developed, Hack continued to review each iteration with the community. With approval of the final design by community and client, Jean Hermann then oversaw the production of the construction documents and construction.

“This overview of the Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Park shows the sweep of the design in relation to the north residential neighborhood, fronting on the long curve of River Terrace. A low wall separates the park from the street and forms a backdrop to the central paved terrace for active recreation, the Park House, and the Vesey Terrace fountain and the Lily Pond. From overlooks, at the ends of the north neighborhood streets, gently sloping ramps connect to the main curving pathway of the park, which culminates in a plaza and grand stair at the foot of Chambers Street, the axis that connects the park across Lower Manhattan to City Hall. Between the terraces and the esplanade lie the green meadows of the pastoral park, accommodating informal sports, sunning and picnicking. The 8-1/2 acre Rockefeller Park is the largest green space to be built in Lower Manhattan in decades. Its design served as a demonstration of what could be possible on Manhattan's West Side waterfront, now developed as Hudson River Park.”

Park and Esplanades, Past and Present: “North Park, as it was initially called, preceded the development of Battery Park City's north neighborhood. There was plenty of competition for uses in the park - Stuyvesant High School and local sports teams wanted courts and playing fields; many residents wanted green space and seasonal landscape for multiple uses; an outdoor performance pavilion was sought by all; and many workers nearby wanted a peaceful place to relax. The park design was enriched by many workshops and open meetings to review design alternatives. The final plan created a curving walkway the length of the park, a seam between dedicated activity areas and flexible green spaces. The waterside esplanade was extended to create a waterfront for Stuyvesant High and to link to Battery Park City to the future Hudson River Park. The park is now treasured by its many users and has been voted one of the best parks in Manhattan for many years.”

In 2021 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled plans for an Essential Workers Monument: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/essential_workers_monument_renderings.pdf

Additional sources:

- Herbert Muschamp, "The Greening of South Manhattan, Where Waters Part for a Park," New York Times (