Luther Gulick Park; October 2013.
A nearly five-year-old effort to revitalize a neglected public space on the Lower East Side is receiving a big boost. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced today that $2.5 million has been awarded to Luther Gulick Park for its restoration. The new funding comes from the state Department of Transportation.
Community activists formed an organization known as the Friends of Gulick Park several years ago. They have held numerous community-building activities, including tree and flower plantings, in the park, which is located alongside the Williamsburg Bridge at Willett Street. Most important, the group successfully raised $3 million from several sources, including the New York City Council and the Manhattan Borough President’s office. After several neighborhood visioning sessions, the Parks Department came up with a rehabilitation plan, a drawing of which you can see below.