Union Square Park Set To Expand Under $100M Plan

UNION SQUARE, NY — Union Square might be getting the benefits of a $100 million makeover, which would expand the popular Manhattan park by 33 percent.

The Union Square Partnership, a nonprofit that serves as the steward to the Lower Manhattan space, announced a plan Tuesday that would increase the park's space by more than 2 acres in the coming years.

The nonprofit said the design plan is the product of a two-year-long process that involved community members, local business leaders, urban designers, landscape architects, transportation experts and city and state agencies.

The partnership worked alongside the architecture firm Marvel to create the proposed designs and renderings for the Union Square plan.

“We are proud to unveil a Vision Plan that places the needs of the Union Square-14th Street community at the forefront by promoting openness, equity, safety, and accessibility. The ultimate goal here is for parkgoers to know they have arrived at a place that is special,” Jennifer Falk, the executive director of Union Square Partnership, said in a news release.

The partnership breaks its plan down into five key points.

1. Transform 14th Street into a "world-class" transitway

• The plan wants to make Union Square as pedestrian-friendly as possible. This includes expanding walkways, doubling sidewalk space, and adding new parklets, trees, and other elements to enhance the walking experience.

2. Convert Union Square West into a pedestrian plaza by extending the park

• This step is also related to improving the pedestrian experience. However, this time, it specifies enlarging the pedestrian area along Union Square West, enlarging the subway entrance at 16th Street with an escalator, and building permanent infrastructure for the Greenmarket.

3. Create an expansive new space at the park's southwest corner

• The partnership says the Triangle Plaza at 4th Avenue is currently underutilized and the plan would open up the space to create more room for walking.

4. Build a Broadway gateway at 17th Street

• In 2011, the NYC DOT implemented a temporary plaza at 17th Street and Broadway. The plan would make this plaza permanent so that it could serve as a type of welcoming entrance to the park.

5. Develop a new master plan for Union Square Park

• The partnership wants to create a master plan for Union Square Par that will "meet the needs of today." It will be a multi-year project that will result in upgrades to the park's infrastructure, amenities, utilities, and landscape.

None of this will happen overnight.

The group said the expansion could take 10 to 20 years to finish after going through the necessary review process and finding the funding to make it happen.

The Urban Design Forum is hosting a virtual event Tuesday, Jan. 26, to explain more about the Union Square-14th Street District plan. You can register here.

You can also read more about the plan here.