Mayor Adams Launches Major Step to Put the "Park" Back in Park Avenue

August 27, 2024

City Releases RFP to Redesign Park Avenue Between East 46th Street and East 57th Street, as Greener, Safer, More Welcoming Corridor

City Continues to Advance Efforts to Add Public Space in Business Districts 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced a major step to put the park back in Park Avenue between East 46th Street and East 57th Street by adding greenery, public seating, concessions, and safer crossings for pedestrians. The city released an RFP today to help develop a cohesive design vision for that portion of Park Avenue, which sits atop the Grand Central Terminal Train Shed — currently undergoing a major capital rehabilitation by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)’s Metro-North Railroad. This effort comes as the city continues to advance its vision to permanently reimagine Fifth Avenue as a safer, less congested, pedestrian-centered boulevard, as well as other public realm projects in commercial corridors across the city.

“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,” said Mayor Adams. “Our ambitious project will ensure that as the MTA completes its underground structural work, the Park Avenue that goes back on top will be better than ever, with more space for people to enjoy the greatest city in the world.”

“We are seizing the opportunity to make transformative changes to ensure New York City is the place where people want to be,” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “The Park Avenue redesign exemplifies investments we are making not only to enhance our public realm but to help reshape business districts into even more livable neighborhoods that attract businesses and workers and generate economic growth that benefits all New Yorkers.”

“As the MTA works underground to shore up our train infrastructure, we are taking this unique moment to make the vital artery, Park Avenue, a destination,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Lighting, furniture, and concessions will create more of the vibrant space New Yorkers love and deserve.”

“As our administration made clear in the ‘Making New York Work for Everyone’ action plan, a dynamic public realm ensures our commercial corridors remain vibrant hubs for daily life,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “This important project along Park Avenue — one of the world's great thoroughfares — exemplifies the bright future for Midtown Manhattan by bringing beautiful open space, housing, and culture next to modern offices.”

“We’re putting the ‘park’ back in Park Avenue! This project will transform this iconic stretch of Manhattan’s Park Avenue by adding greenery and making important safety improvements. The Adams administration continues to reimagine public space in record ways,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “This street redesign is a key piece of a new vision for East Midtown, and we look forward to identifying a partner to make this vision a reality.”

“The East Midtown Rezoning continues to deliver for the public, as funds generated from private development will help us deliver a greener and safer Park Avenue,” said New York City Department of City Planning Director and New York City Planning Commission Chair Dan Garodnick. “This is just another example of how we’re planning ahead to improve livability and public safety in New York.”

“This administration is transforming urban space and finding opportunities to create safer, calmer, and quieter places within our streetscape,” said New York City Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley. “Old Park Avenue placed much more emphasis on the ‘park’ and we can get back to that while preserving mobility with dedication to a new set of design principles that values people's health above all.  We look forward to continuing to partner with DOT and the East Midtown Governing Group to implement positive upgrades to this community.”

“Collaborating with sister agencies to enhance our green spaces is a cornerstone of our commitment to New Yorkers. This synergy allows us to create vibrant, accessible environments that enrich the lives of all residents, promote community well-being, and sustain the natural beauty of our city,” said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “Reimagining Park Avenue builds on this administration's efforts to enhance public safety, promote sustainable transportation, and develop exceptional public spaces in Midtown.”

“As a city, we understand the importance of creating more green and vibrant corridors across the whole city,” said Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu. “Investing in the redesigns of Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue continue to show progress in our commitment to improve the connectivity and feel of neighborhoods where we live, work, and play.”

“Reimagining Park Avenue further advances implementation of the ‘New’ New York Panel’s recommendations to reshape our business districts with great public space,” said “New” New York Executive Director B.J. Jones. “This effort joins Broadway Vision, the redesign of Fifth Avenue, and more to make Midtown an inviting, pedestrian-friendly global center of commerce.”

“This is a great example of collaboration across levels of government leading to a more efficient process and a better result for the public,” said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “As we work to rebuild the Grand Central Terminal Train Shed running under Park Avenue, we’re thrilled to work with our partners at City Hall and DOT to coordinate the city’s investments to improve the streetscape with the essential state of good repair work happening below.”

Currently, the City of New York and the MTA are rehabilitating and repairing the Grand Central Terminal Train Shed, which spans from East 46th Street to East 57th Street. This ambitious construction project will address critical infrastructure needs by replacing the train shed roof structure and waterproofing membrane while enhancing Park Avenue, which sits atop the train shed and will be removed and reconstructed in stages as subsurface work proceeds. As the MTA completes its train shed work, Park Avenue will be restored with an expanded median for pedestrians featuring verdant landscaping and seating. The transformational redesign of Park Avenue that emerges from this project will enhance public space, promote sustainable transit options, and foster community among residents and visitors. The MTA began its construction on the block of Park Avenue between East 47th and East 48th Street. That block will be the first along the avenue to feature a wider median when the street is restored as early as 2025.  

Through the RFP process, DOT is seeking design services from a contractor with a background in landscape architecture or urban design to help fill in that wider median, encompassing pedestrian enhancements, cycling infrastructure, landscaping, and innovative streetscape amenities. The selected design team will work with relevant agencies and engage with local stakeholders to produce design concepts that are infrastructurally sound and meet community needs.

Concept for a reimagined Park Avenue, with wider median. Credit: DOT

The RFP builds on DOT’s public engagement along Park Avenue that began in 2020 through an online visioning survey that received over 1,700 responses. The overwhelming majority of respondents supported a redesign of Park Avenue with expanded medians allowing for enhanced pedestrian space and potential to create additional capacity for seating, art, concessions, landscaping, or possible bike connections. Park Avenue’s median will be redesigned in coordination with the MTA and community stakeholders, including local businesses. Funding for the RFP has been provided through the East Midtown Governing Group, which was created as a part of the 2017 Greater East Midtown Rezoning. The rezoning created a mechanism through which new office development and the sale of development rights require contribution to public realm improvements, like this redesign of Park Avenue.

The Park Avenue redesign will be an important next step in the effort to create a world-class network of public space in Midtown, as recommended by the “New” New York Panel to rebuild New York City’s economy as outlined in the “Making New York Work for Everyone” action plan. It builds on other initiatives, including expansion of the Broadway Vision Plan, launch of the Fifth Avenue redesign, opening of Plaza33 at Penn Station, a new agreement to support the replacement and expansion of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and more.

“I applaud today’s announcement of a transformational redesign of Park Avenue that will add new public spaces in one of Manhattan’s most congested corridors,” said U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler. “I look forward to seeing this project come to life to make Park Avenue a safer, more enjoyable place to live and visit.”

“I am pleased to hear that the city government is moving forward with this plan to make Fifth Avenue a safer, more pedestrian-friendly part of Manhattan,” said New York State Senator Liz Krueger. “I am excited to seeing how this project improves foot traffic, introduces new and much needed green space to our district, and opens up new public space on over ten city blocks.”

"The launch of the Grand Central Train Shed capital development RFP gives us an opportunity to reimagine the central corridor to make it pedestrian-friendly and overall more enjoyable with the potential for more green space and seating,” said New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores. “I encourage all firms interested in this project to submit proposals and help us put the ‘park’ back in ‘Park Avenue.’”

“Widening and adding functional infrastructure to the Park Avenue medians will make for a safer, more sustainable, more enjoyable boulevard for pedestrians and cyclists,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “Manhattanites, visitors, and I look forward to seeing how these iconic medians will be reimagined as shared space.”

“Today, we take a significant step forward in reimagining midtown Manhattan,” said New York City Councilmember Keith Powers. “As Chair of the East Midtown Governing Group, we have worked diligently in setting up this RFP process, which will help select the best candidate who provides the necessary experience required to design a concept that will put New Yorkers first. I am excited to participate in this process over the next several months and work closely with the MTA, DOT, and other relevant sister agencies.” 

“Midtown Manhattan is in desperate need of green space, and we’re thrilled that the City of New York is taking steps to address that by issuing this RFP,” said Rob Brynes, president, East Midtown Partnership. “By enhancing the public realm just steps from Grand Central Terminal, Mayor Adams, Commissioner Rodriguez, and DOT staff will immeasurably enhance the Midtown Experience, and we thank them.”

“While dramatic changes continue to reshape the skyline of Park Avenue with the rise of JPMorgan Chase’s 270 Park Avenue and other new state of the art office towers on the drawing board; and below the surface improvements with the replacement of the MTA Metro-North train shed and the opening of Grand Central Madison, the ground level experience is now also being reimagined enhancing accessible open public space for Midtown East helping to put the PARK back in Park Avenue,” said Fred Cerullo, president and CEO, Grand Central Partnership President.

“Manhattan Community Board 6 (CB6) is eager to see the Park Avenue Landscape Design project move forward,” said Jason Froimowitz, director to the East Midtown Public Realm Improvement Fund, Manhattan CB6. “This initiative is an important step in enhancing the public realm for all who live, work, and visit this segment of Park Avenue. CB6 looks forward to working with DOT and our fellow stakeholders to ensure the project reflects the community’s needs.”

“The East Midtown Governing Group, developed by Manhattan Community Board 5 (CB5) in partnership with DCP and community stakeholders following the 2017 Greater East Midtown Rezoning, funded this public realm improvement project,” said Bradley Sherburne, chair, Manhattan CB5 and Nancy Goshow, land use, housing, and zoning chair, Manhattan CB5. “Manhattan CB5 applauds this integrated approach for the city's transit, pedestrian improvements, and public space. We believe collaboration leads to success, and we look forward to working with the team that is selected in this RFP process to ensure the best possible outcome for our community and the city.”