Central Park Conservancy To Invest $150M Into North End Of Park

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Central Park is so massive that it can be easy to forget the green space stretches all the way up to 110th Street, but Central Park's north end won't be overlooked for long.

The Central Park Conservancy announced Wednesday that it will invest $150 million to improve facilities in the park's north end including the Lasker Rink and Pool complex and the area surrounding the scenic Harlem Meer. The project is expected to break ground in 2021 and be complete by 2024, the conservancy announced.

A new state-of-the-art recreation center for swimming and skating will completely replace the existing Lasker facility. Unlike Lasker, the new building will be integrated with the park's natural surroundings instead of acting as a disruption. When Lasker was built in 1966 it added a concrete barrier between the Harlem Meer and the scenic Ravine area to its south.

"I’m thrilled to offer the public a design that achieves one of the Conservancy’s highest goals: connecting recreational activities with the restorative and uplifting experience that is the essence of Central Park. This sensitive and inventive design will give New Yorkers the greatly improved amenity they deserve, while returning to them the free and open use of one of the most scenic areas in the Park," Central Park Conservancy CEO Elizabeth Smith said.

With a new facility in place, the Central Park Conservancy will be able to restore the original watercourse that connected the Harlem Meet with an area of Central Park known as The Ravine. A new pedestrian path that runs along the waterway and takes parkgoers through the Huddlestone Arch will also be created.

The new waterway will feature a freshwater marsh and several small islands that will highlight the natural transition from the stream to the Harlem Meer's lake, conservancy officials said. In addition to the new natural path, the project includes plans for a curvilinear boardwalk on the Harlem Meer.

Each aspect of the $150 million project contributes to the overarching goal of restoring the area's natural ecology. In accordance with that goal, the design of the new Lasker facility will implement green technologies such as a vegetated roof, passive climate control that minimizes the need for heating and cooling systems and the use of locally-sourced and recycled building materials.

The Central Park Conservancy's design team collaborated with the architectural teams of Susan T. Rodriguez Architecture | Design and Mitchell Giurgola Architects for more than a year to plan out the $150 million project, conservancy officials said.

Wednesday's reveal of the restoration plan will initiate the public review process in which the conservancy will seek regulatory approvals for the extensive project. The project is receiving financial backing from the city of about $50 million. The remaining $100 million will be raised by the Central Park Conservancy.

"I am so grateful for the incredible partnership between the Central Park Conservancy and NYC Parks. I congratulate the Conservancy’s team on this brilliant design, which fully meets Central Park’s unsurpassed standard for public engagement and urban beauty," Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver said in a statement.