As mentioned in our “Morning Reads,” Mayor de Blasio is announcing this morning that the city will be spending $130 million to improve small parks in low income neighborhoods. The mayor’s office has not released the complete funding list just yet, but we have some additional details about the impact on the Lower East Side. […]
This could be the last summer for the “old” Gulick Park. Thanks to the efforts of Friends of Gulick Park, $3 million in funding has been raised to refurbish the neglected public space along Delancey and Willett streets. During “It’s My Park” day yesterday community members gathered to spruce up the park for the summer […]
Photos by Sarah Sluis.
This could be the last summer for the “old” Gulick Park. Thanks to the efforts of Friends of Gulick Park, $3 million in funding has been raised to refurbish the neglected public space along Delancey and Willett streets. During “It’s My Park” day yesterday community members gathered to spruce up the park for the summer ahead.
“I heard one girl say it was the first time she planted anything,” Dave Bolotsky, founder of Friends of Gulick Park, recounted. While kid-centered activities like face painting, sandpainting, and bike decorating were popular, gardening was surprisingly popular. Kids were enthusiastic rakers, planters, and diggers. Keegan Stephan of the organization Time’s Up was on hand to offer free bike repairs, and plenty of residents (especially kids) took advantage of the service.
Luther Gulick Park, Willett Street.
The long awaited restoration of Luther Gulick Park, the neglected public space at Willett and Delancey streets, is now fully funded. The Friends of Gulick Park announced today that they have been awarded $1 million from State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Earlier this year, Silver helped facilitate a $2.5 million grant from the state Department of Transportation. The organization had already secured about $3 million from other elected officials.
There’s been a five year campaign, including public visioning sessions, for the park’s resurgence. Here’s a diagram showing the Parks Department design for Luther Gulick:
Originally, the city said it would cost $6 million to complete the job. Now there’s a surplus, which could potentially be used as a down payment for a bathroom building that could be built at some point in the future. Construction at the park could get underway by next fall.
Across the city this weekend, communities will be participating in “It’s My Park Day.” At Luther Gulick Park (Delancey and Willett streets), festivities will get underway at 1 p.m. There will be bulb planting, Halloween themed art-and-crafts and plenty of snacks. As you may know, the Friends of Gulick Park, a group created three years ago, has been working with the city to redesign and refurbish the formerly-neglected space. Parks Department designers have not released their blueprints publicly yet; they’re expected to do so before the end of the year. Park construction would likely occur next year. There are, of course, other neighborhood parks holding events this weekend. Click here for the rundown.