Bill Text: NY J02614 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Commemorating the 155th Anniversary of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-05-17 - ADOPTED [J02614 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-J02614-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 2614

BY: Senator MYRIE

        COMMEMORATING  the  155th  Anniversary of Prospect
        Park in Brooklyn, New York

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  sense  of  this  Legislative  Body  that  the
continuing  welfare  of the citizens of the State of New York is greatly
enriched and reliably  served  by  the  purposeful  endeavors  of  those
organizations  committed  to  the preservation of the natural world, the
enrichment of knowledge of local and global wildlife, and the  promotion
of environmental citizenship; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
commemorate the 155th Anniversary of Prospect Park; and

  WHEREAS,  Established  in  1867,  Prospect Park is a 585-acre public
park located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn; it  was  designed
by the influential landscape architecture team of Frederick Law Olmstead
and Calvert Vaux; and

  WHEREAS,  This  architecture  team  was  essential  in  transforming
585-acres of remnant forest and rocky farmland into  a  landscape  whose
beauty,  though  manufactured, would nurture the mind, body and even the
fabric of society; and

  WHEREAS, Within Prospect Park, there  are  seven  playgrounds,  some
with  water  features,  a  3.35 mile loop for bicycling, a carousel open
from April to October, a  90-acre  Long  Meadow,  the  Woodland  Ravine,
meandering  paths  with scenic outlooks and a watercourse which features
waterfalls and springs as well as a 60-acre lake; and

  WHEREAS, Following the Great Depression, Robert Moses, the New  York
City  Parks  Commissioner,  leveraged  funds available through President
Franklin D. Roosevelt's Public Works Administration to launch  a  number
of development projects, including Prospect Park; his vision was to view
parks as settings for active recreation; and

  WHEREAS,   The  projects  completed  under  Robert  Moses'  guidance
included the Prospect Park Zoo, new playgrounds around  Prospect  Park's
perimeter,   the  extensive  renovation  of  the  Park  drives  and  the
construction of the Bandshell as well the Kate Wollman Memorial  Skating
Rink, which is currently the site of the LeFrak Center at Lakeside; and

  WHEREAS,  During the 1970s, New York fell under a significant fiscal
crisis, and Prospect Park's landscapes  and  structures  collapsed  into
serious  disrepair;  less  than  two  million people visited a year, the
lowest in the Park's history; and

  WHEREAS, After the bronze sculpture of Columbia at Grand Army  Plaza
fell  over,  symbolizing  the  general  neglect of Prospect Park and its
immediate surroundings,  a  group  of  concerned  local  citizens  began
lobbying for responsible stewardship of the Park; and

  WHEREAS,  Due  to  the  concerned citizen's persistence, the Borough
President took their concerns to Mayor, Edward Koch, who, with the  help
of  Parks  Commissioner,  Gordon  Davis, developed a plan to restore the
Park; in 1980, Tupper Thomas  was  appointed  the  first  Prospect  Park
Administrator to oversee the restoration efforts; and

  WHEREAS,  During this time, a group of private citizens working with
Parks Commissioner, Henry Stern, founded a  non-profit  organization  to
work with the City in leading Prospect Park's transformation; with Parks
Administrator,  Tupper  Thomas, as President, the Alliance offered a new
way for the public and private sectors to join as partners in  a  common
cause; and

  WHEREAS,  Starting  with  the special campaign to restore the Park's
1912 Carousel, the resulting refurbishment became a symbol  of  Prospect
Park's  rebirth;  through  volunteer initiatives and community programs,
Tupper Thomas was able to cultivate tremendous support from the  public;
and

  WHEREAS,  In  the  1990s,  the  Alliance  embarked  on  an ambitious
woodlands restoration; more than 3,500 cubic yards of topsoil  was  used
to  stabilize slopes and 160,000 plants, sourced from within 60 miles of
Prospect Park, were introduced and approximately 35,000  aquatic  plants
were added to provide food and nesting habitats; and

  WHEREAS,  In  2009,  the Alliance announced a radical redesign which
would  integrate  the  rustic  aesthetic  of  Olmstead  and  Vaux,   the
recreational   demands   of   the  public,  and  the  energy  efficiency
requirements of a modern public space; and

  WHEREAS, With the collaboration  of  the  prestigious  architectural
firm,  Tod  Williams and Billie Tsien and the Alliance's Chief Landscape
Architect Christian Zimmerman, the $74 million project restored Prospect
Park, which is considered once again, one of the nation's premier public
parks, and a treasured Brooklyn green space, with more than  10  million
visitors each year; and

  WHEREAS,  Today, Prospect Park is home to 50 species of butterflies,
more than 30,000 trees, at least 18 species of fish, and more  than  200
species of birds; it has brought beauty and pleasure to the residents of
the State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, Throughout the seasons, Prospect Park is a destination much
appreciated  by  the residents of the State of New York and visitors who
seek the historical, cultural, and recreational resources of  the  area;
it  is  a  source  of  pride and community heritage to all the people of
Brooklyn; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
commemorate  the  155th  Anniversary  of  Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New
York; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the Prospect Park Alliance.