NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – New York City is looking to “put the ‘park’ back in Park Avenue.”
The Department of Transportation announced plans Tuesday to make a stretch of Park Avenue in Midtown greener and more pedestrian friendly.
Under the "ambitious project," 11 blocks of Park Avenue between East 46th and East 57th streets will get a widened pedestrian median, providing more space for landscaping, seating, cycling infrastructure and “innovative streetscape amenities.”
The work will be done in stages concurrently with the MTA’s rehabilitation of the Grand Central Terminal Train Shed, which runs below Fifth Avenue north of the terminal.
Work on the train shed will require removing and reconstructing Fifth Avenue in stages, which the city sees as the perfect opportunity to revamp the street above ground.
The first block—between East 47th and East 48th streets—is expected to be restored as early as 2025, officials said.
DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez joined elected leaders Tuesday to make the announcement and kick off the search for a firm to redesign the medians.
“We want to redefine the iconic Park Avenue as a greener, safer and more welcoming corridor for all New Yorkers,” Rodriguez said.
A press release on the plan called the redesign an “important next step in the effort to create a world-class network of public spaces in Midtown.”
In a statement, Mayor Eric Adams said, “High-quality public spaces aren’t just a luxury — they’re a necessity, and they’re a vital component of our vision to revitalize commercial corridors like Midtown and build a safer, more affordable, better city for all New Yorkers.”
The plan was hailed by a number of leaders and lawmakers who represent the area, including Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, State Sen. Liz Krueger and Councilmember Keith Powers, who called it a “significant step forward in reimagining midtown Manhattan.”