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The Final Plan for Bogardus Park
The final plan for Bogardus Park—as perhaps I alone am calling the to-be-combined Bogardus Garden and Bogardus Plaza—was revealed at last night’s meeting of the Community Board 1 Tribeca Committee. It comes after two community workshops, and the Department of Transportation representative said that it’s still open to recommendations.
The design most resembles Concept C from the community workshop I attended in May: There’s an elevated stage that can also be used for seating, and an entrance in the northeast corner. (Do go back and read the post about the workshop, because it lists the various constraints the designers had to deal with—this was by no means a blanks slate.) It adds 870 more square feet of greenery, for a total of around 2,670 square feet. The egg-shaped seats pay homage to the neighborhood’s history as the city’s butter-and-egg district.
Signe Nielsen of Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects said there would be a “vast improvement” in lighting, and she reminded everyone that she’s been doing this for a long time, so she knows to make surfaces skateboard-unfriendly and benches not “sleepable.” Also, what looks like cobblestone in the rendering is cut granite—it’s smoother, and therefore easier to walk on, than the Belgian block cobblestone we have in our streets.
Also of note: The Department of Transportation and Friends of Bogardus Garden are including utility hookups for a kiosk at the southern tip of the eastern plant bed. The kiosk may or may not ever happen, but the DOT wants the Friends to have the ability, should it choose, to run a concession of some kind there; all revenue would have to be used to benefit the park.
Assuming CB1 was fine with it (I left before members weighed in, because the meeting was at the 2.5-hour mark, the room was unairconditioned, and I was confident they wouldn’t think of anything that hadn’t been thought of), the design next goes to the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Congratulations again to the Friends: It’s going to be a wonderful addition to the neighborhood.
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I think it’s wonderful that they are updating this plaza, it will be a beautiful addition or upgrade to the neighborhood. However two concerns, one is that they have the same or more tables & chairs as they are very useful and two those “egg” seats look like a huge hazard to kids! Is there a way to express these concerns to the Friends?
http://www.bogardusgarden.org/contact-us/
Things are hazards to kids when they run around wildly which is why we take such precautions in planning playgrounds which are for kids to run around wildly in. Places meant for folks to rest and read or chat are not meant for little kids to play in. Parents used to know these things. Sigh.
Well said Grumpy Old Lady.
I always wrap my daughter in a double layer of bubble wrap before leaving the house. There are a lot of hard surfaces in the world, just wish everything was made of Nerf material.
Speaking of bubble wrap – it’s getting cooler, so you know what that means fellow TriBeCa DaDs….that’s right, it’s time to get our black goose down parka vests out! Flip-flops are still in season, so continue to flop away!
Hi Erik,
Do you know when they are going to start working on it? Looks like a very nice improvement to the area…
Thanks,
C