Roosevelt Island Southpoint Park Grand Opening August 2, Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Starts At 9 AM and All Are Invited - Latest Pictures From FDR Memorial Boondoggle Too
Received the following message from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):
On Tuesday, August 2, 2011, ALL Roosevelt Islanders are welcome to join the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation in the highly anticipated GRAND OPENING of Southpoint Park. The ribbon cutting ceremony will commence at 9:00 AM. There will be Red Bus service available to the park. We hope you join us for this memorable occasion and become Southpoint Park’s first guests.The entrance to this new 7 acre East River waterfront park is a few feet south of the Goldwater Hospital campus and extends to the Renwick Ruins Smallpox Hospital. Soon the Ghost Hunters may return to get up close and personal with the Ruins again in search of Roosevelt Island spirits.
Wild Gardens Green Rooms had been the previous name for this project but it is now being called just Southpoint Park. Here's what Southpoint Park looked like last week from outside the construction fencing.
You Tube Video of Southpoint Park Behind Construction Fencing
Looking forward to having this portion of Southpoint Park open again.
The rest of the area of Southpoint Park south of the Renwick Ruins Smallpox Hospital is where the 3 acre Louis Kahn Memorial Boondoggle is being constructed - oops, it's official name is the FDR Four Freedoms Park Memorial. This area is still closed and will not open for several more years.
Here's the latest picture of the recently constructed Louis Kahn Death Box (or sculpture room) at the FDR Four Freedoms Memorial on Roosevelt Island's most southern tip.
Such a pity that this monstrosity has ruined what had been the beautiful southern tip of Roosevelt Island.
UPDATE 8/1 - The FDR Hope Memorial depicting:
President Franklin D. Roosevelt seated in his wheelchair at his desk greeting a young disabled girl wearing braces on her leg...
Image of FDR Hope Memorial Rendering designed by Meredith Bergmann
will be located in a part of the new Southpoint Park.
Here's a wonderful profile of Roosevelt Island resident Nancy Brown, one of the FDR Hope Memorial organizers, explaining why it is so important to have such a representation of President Roosevelt, particularly on the New York City Island named after him.
You Tube Video on Power Of One Enabled Not Disabled From mntv
For purposes of clarity, the FDR Hope Memorial depicting President Roosevelt sitting in a wheelchair and the Louis Kahn designed so-called FDR Memorial are two different and separate projects. More information on the FDR Hope Memorial from previous posts.
If you wish to help or contribute to developing the FDR Hope Memorial, please visit their web site to learn more and for contact information.
UPDATE 8/2 - Here's what happened at the Grand Opening Celebration of the new Southpoint Park earlier today.
UPDATE 8/12 - Here's some more images from the Kahn/FDR Memorial Boondoggle.
Unfortunately, it looks more like a cemetery to me than a waterfront park. What a pity that TPL's Master Plan for all of Southpoint Park, (including the area of what is now the location for the Kahn/FDR Boondoggle) was not accomplished.
A positive review of the Kahn FDR Memorial was published by Bloomberg today.
12 comments :
While I agree that the sculpture room is not the greatest sight (at least the way it looks right now) I don't think it ever looked that much better before.
Come on Rick... "Death Box" is hardly a way to describe the tip of the island. You are entitled to your opinion. Mine is that the granite walls & floor look magnificent. Especially, as it appears so close to the water
I think it is a good example of a "white elefant"
They are indeed magnificent, but not just not here where they are out of sync with the shape and habitat of the island.
looks very hot and boring...they cut all the trees down except those by the old hospital and that area I have read will be fenced in...You .better have an umbrella and a LOT of sunscreen and a few gallons of ice water down there! Hey When is that horrible mulit billion dollar sterile of all personality and void of the wildlife and their nesting grounds "wildlife amusement park" at the end of the the park supposed to open? I have read all the Blue Chip corporations have donated billions to that thing. Who is over that joke anyway? I wonder when the Ferris Wheel will be built? Very sad what that area has become. I am glad that all the big shots have made their millions and have their " legacy " to show off, the people who have invested in this island and live here sure as Hell have had nothing to do with it. Cannot wait for the bidding wars between Cornell and Standfard to start now...I am sure RIOC has big big big dollar signs in their eyes about that face as well. Big business and Big corruption still alive in NYC gang!
after the tide comes in and out a few thousand times, when is it going to sink into the water? Does not look safe at all to me...that Marble has to weigh tons and tons! Where are the seals going to rest now? Where are the ducks and crains going to lay their eggs now? Did anyone put aside a few thousand from the billions donated to have a wildlife habitat ? Did anyone thing of the animals that have called that part of the island home for decades? Where was and where is their voice in all this hoopla? Roosevelt would turn over in his grave, he loved aniamals and how dare they call it a Freedoms park! Hope the Press and PETA and public tear down all their praise and glory about their lack of compasion and concern for one of the last Green spaces on NYC...Central park should have been a model for all those racing to spend the millions of dollars to build that joke of a park.
The shape will be modified and adjusted so it will match. About the habitat... that sure is a concern and usually part of the plan for something like this.
NYC has so much "wild" green space. That little piece that RI has is nothing compared to the rest. I'm fine with using it for something that will help this island economically.
i HOPE IT WILL HELP THE ISLAND ECONOMICALLY BUT WILL NOT BE SURPRISED IF THE "HELP THIS ISLAND
ECONOMICALLY" WILL BE SHORT AND HAVE A NOT SO COMICAL ENDING.
This is what all City parks look like initially - even bucolic Central and Prospect Parks looked pretty "sparse" at first. All - or most - of the original or "wild" trees/shrubs were chopped down there too - and the land bulldozed/carved to Olmstead & Vaux's specifications. These parks are works of art - manmade art - designed to give the park-goer the "experience of nature" not nature itself. In a few decades times, Southpoint will be similarly beautiful (i.e. shady with full-grown trees etc).
I strongly disagree with the blogger's characterization of the FDR memorial. Roosevelt Island was named for one of our greatest Presidents, and this timeless monument oriented toward the UN, sets up a never-ending East River dialog about the unending struggle for human rights and the continuing quest for peace.
Would mausoleum be a more accurate description than death box? I can't
take credit for the "death box" description. Some other resident first
used it but I don't remember where I first heard it.
In my opinion, this so called FDR Memorial Park looks more like a cemetery than a waterfront park.
Take a look at some more pictures.
http://www.fdrfourfreedomspark.org/home
As for helping Roosevelt Island economically, it will probably have as
much impact on the Roosevelt Island economy as Grant's Tomb has on Upper
Manhattan which is nothing.
I like the design of it. It's going to be great. Not sure why you would draw a connection to Grant's tomb considering that RI is a bit isolated from the city and with the Southpoint developments tourists finally have something more to do that just look at some church, house, and a lighthouse.
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