Greenacre Park Fights Midtown Tower Blocks For Light And Survival

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — There aren't too many places in New York where city-dwellers can feel in touch with nature. But if you close your eyes and focus in on the rushing waterfall in Greenacre Park — which occupies a tiny sliver of a lot on East 51st street between Second and Third avenues — you can start to tune out the blaring car horns and loud cellphone talkers of Midtown Manhattan.

The pocket-sized park – a treasure to the area's office workers – is an escape from the daily trials of New York City: Even if that escape only lasts as long as a lunch break.

But due to recent city-backed rezoning of Midtown East, Greenacre Park is in trouble. The small park is fighting for its right to light as the city plans to transform Midtown East into a neighborhood of towering office buildings.

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The rezoning plan is expected to generate 6.8 million square feet in new commercial office space over the next 20 years, city officials said. An additional 6.6 million square feet of existing office space will be upgraded into Class A office space. Much of that new space will rise vertically, casting new shadows over Midtown Manhattan.

The organization responsible for overseeing Greenacre Park — the Greenacre Foundation — has stated that the new office space could plunge the sidewalk oasis into darkness, which could doom the park's foliage and ruin its welcoming atmosphere. Despite requests from the local community board and the borough president's office, the city did not include specific protections for Greenacre Park in its rezoning plan.

"Unfortunately, what will be missing from the new law is any protection of Greenacre Park," the foundation said in a statement after rezoning passed. "Nevertheless, we thank all of our supporters that lit up social media, sent letters, and sent emails. The City at least acknowledged the need to discuss future developments’ impact on Greenacre Park – especially in terms of the amount sunlight on the Park."

One park regular, Marie Kilcullen, told Patch that she participated in the foundation's efforts to help protect the park during rezoning debates.

"I can't even believe [the rezoning passed], Kilcullen told Patch. "It should be self evident, there's so little space in this city as it is."

Another park visitor, 27-year-old Peter Kendall, told Patch he's been visiting the park for about a month. Kendall has been working in the area for about a month and likes to visit the park during his lunch break.

"It makes you feel like you're not in the city," Kendall told Patch.

While the new zoning regulations for Midtown East don't guarantee Greenacre Park the right to sunlight — the city and the park foundation negotiated a side deal that would let people know when a proposed development would cast shadows on the park, a spokesman for the Greenacre Foundation told Patch.

The arrangement, signed by Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen, contains the following three provisions:

1. The Department of City Planning (DCP) will send Greenacre Foundation filed application for any zoning actions pursuant the East Midtown rezoning at the same time it is sent to the Community Board.
2. DCP will inform any such applicant to discuss its development plans with Greenacre Foundation, and;
3. DCP commits again to meet with Greenacre Foundation to discuss potential shadow impacts from both within and outside the rezoning plan.

"These commitments allow Greenacre Park to keep the issue of shadow impacts front and center in the minds of City policy makers and developers as the Greater Midtown East transforms into a 'vertical' city," the foundation said in a statement.

Photos by Patch