During the planning stage of the park, the architects were determined to implement resilient features in the project’s Master Plan to ensure that the park would be as sustainable as possible through the next century. To do this, much of the first phase of the renovation process was spent lifting the majority of the island out of the flood zone. The four hills that will be opening in May are not only enjoyable features of the city’s newest park, but are also part of this resilient strategy to make the area safe in the face of future climate change.
Related: The New Elevated Governors Island Park is Made of Recycled Materials
The four artificial hills that cover 10 acres of park space will give visitors even more open green space to enjoy. Especially fun for families will be Slide Hill, which is a 38-foot-tall hill covered with slides, one of which, at 40 feet tall, will be the longest in NYC. Additionally exciting about the new opening is that the mounds, which rise as high as 70 feet above the island, will offer stunning views of the Statue of Liberty, downtown Manhattan, Brooklyn and the New York Harbor.
In addition to Slide Hill, visitors will be able to explore Discovery Hill, Grassy Hill, and Outlook Hill, all with their own specific features and amenities. The park’s Picnic Point and a 2.2-mile-long promenade around the island’s perimeter will be open to visitors.
Related: First Phase of Governors Island Overhall to Start in 2012
The opening of the Hills section of the park marks the completion of Phase 2 of the ambitious project, which has seen Governors Island transformed into a community recreation park over the past 10 years. The first 30 acres were opened to the public in 2014 and included 1,500 newly-planted trees, a six-acre plaza, a large recreational lawn with two baseballs fields, and a “hammock grove” that provided 50 swinging hammocks to park goers.
Governors Island will be open from May 28th to September 25th this year and will be accessible via ferries from Manhattan and Brooklyn.
+ The Trust for Governors Island
Via Next City
Images via The Trust for Governors Island and West 8
