The city is inviting visitors to Governors Island to write their ideas about how to make the 150-acre park a better place to play, learn and work on a giant black cube at the Soissons Landing through Sept. 25.
BY ALEX ELLEFSON
The city wants to know what you want for Governors Island — and wants you to write it on a cube.
The Trust for Governors Island and the city’s Economic Development Corporation have partnered on an initiative, called #GovIsland365, to gather ideas about how to transform Governors Island into a year-round destination.
They’ve planted a giant black cube at the Soissons Landing and are inviting visitors to write their ideas on it in chalk. The city will be accepting feedback about how to make the 150-acre park a better place to play, learn and work through Sept. 25.
“I encourage all New Yorkers to share their ideas and get involved – Governors Island belongs to you,” EDC oresident Maria Torres-Springer said in a statement. “To fully realize Governors Island’s potential as a year-round asset for all New Yorkers, we need to think outside the box – or in this case, the Cube.”
The campaign follows the opening this summer of The Hills — four grassy, man-made mounds that provide a better vantage point from which to soak in views of the Downtown Manhattan skyline.
In his 2016 State of the City address, Mayor Bill de Blasio promised improvements aimed at transforming the park into a thriving commercial and cultural center. A centerpiece of that pledge involved turning the park into a place that attracts visitors throughout the year.
In a statement, Councilwoman Margaret Chin applauded the city for turning to the public to help further revitalize Governors Island.
“This innovative community engagement process will allow people of every age and background to fully engage with the process of shaping the future of this city-wide asset,” she said.
The city has already pumped $307 million into improvements on the island during the last six years. The Mayor’s vision, called the Governors Island Innovation Cluster, will add more ferry service, infrastructure, and free up an additional 900,000 square feet along the waterfront and in the island’s historic buildings.
