Re-Imagining Roosevelt Island's Blackwell Park - Your Opinions Sought For New Master Plan Prepared By Landscape Architect Lee Weintraub

Landscape Architect Lee Weintraub Speaking to Roosevelt Islander

Last week. I attended a tea party organized by RIOC's Rosina Abramson, VP of Planning & Inter-Governmental Affairs, to meet Lee Weintraub, the landscape architect selected to create a Master Plan for a new, re-imagined Blackwell Park (RIOC Board Minutes for May 2009 page 6-8).

Blackwell House Porch and Lawn

RIOC and Mr. Weintraub were seeking ideas and input from members of the Roosevelt Island community regarding the type of recreational and pastoral area best suited for current day Roosevelt Island.

Blackwell Park Water Fountain

Ms. Abramson explains the reasons for this Re-Imagination of Blackwell Park:

Thanks for your interest. RIOC has retained the services, via a public competitive process, of LWLA (Lee Weintraub Landscape Architects) and team mates to lead a masterplanning effort in re-thinking the best options for a re-imagined Blackwell Park. It was triggered by the notion that when Southtown building 7 is started, the developer is obligated to replace the existing tot lot which would abut the building site. Rather than approach the siting of the tot lot on an ad hoc basis, the notion of re-imagining Blackwell Park designed about 40 years ago when the RI community was relatively unformed, emerged. Added to this is the opportunity to re-purpose "sculptural" aspects of the 33 year old tram infrastructure. Much like in Gantry State Park, where I commissioned Lee and his team to do the Queens West open space planning, Roosevelt Island's river front coupled with its iconic tram infra-structure provides a tremendous opportunity to better reference Roosevelt Island's past and future, while maintaining important elements of the park, so enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

The community process envisioned includes eliciting comments, preferences and ideas from community groups as well as establishing a working task force of approximately 6 representative community members to work with Lee and his team in the actual development of the master plan, by Dec. 2009. Community outreach started on June 17, when RIOC addressed RIRA leaders outlining the process and asking RIRA to designate two representatives. We're spending the summer meeting with a broad range of community representatives, as demonstrated by last night's gathering, before the task force is convened right after Labor Day to begin the hard work of developing a feasible master plan.

LWLA's team, in addition to Lee Weintraub, includes Jane Clark Chermayeff (environmental education/playground specialist); Joan Krevlin of BKSK Architects and Alyce Russo of Schall & Russo Planning Works, LLC. Alyce was Planning director with RIOC from the late 1980's through about 1995. Together, she and Lee led the award winning community planning process for Octagon Park.

Image of Existing Blackwell Tot Lot

It is unlikely that given the current real estate market, Southtown Buildings 7-9 will begin construction any time soon requiring the removal of the Tot Park.

Blackwell Park Lawn

Some have expressed the view that there is no need to re-imagine Blackwell Park at all. That all it needs is some minor repair and renovation and should be kept as it is.

Blackwell Park Lawn

If there is a need to re-imagine Blackwell Park, Mr. Weintraub is an excellent choice to undertake the Master Plan having been responsible for the new waterfront park in Red Hook's Erie Basin adjacent to Ikea as well as Gantry State Park.

Blackwell House Back Porch and Lawn

Blackwell House Square

Blackwell Park Basketball Court