Well-Worn Washington Market Park to Close for Some Much Needed Repairs

The Washington Market Park lawn has not been sodded for two seasons in anticipation of the park closing for repairs. It was hoped that the work would take place last summer but now is expected to begin this month. Photo: Linda Buongermino

Update May 29: Friends of Washington Market Park announced that the park would close on Monday, May 2 and reopen in mid-August, depending on weather and construction conditions.

Washington Market Park is showing its age.

Rusted play equipment, drainage pipes that don’t drain, muddy, broken footpaths, a shabby gazebo, and more. The neighborhood’s beloved gem of an oasis at Duane and Greenwich streets needs fixing, and this month part of that work is expected to begin.

To the likely dismay of many, the park (excluding the basketball and tennis courts) will be closed “for months,” according to a Parks Department spokeswoman, as two major repair projects get underway. The path around the park will be resurfaced and leveled. And a deteriorated drainage pipe, which backs up and turns the lawn into a watery mess, will be replaced. Additionally, standard New York City wooden park benches will take the place of the custom-designed wire ones that have been deemed uncomfortable and difficult to maintain. 

Pam Frederick, a longtime member of Friends of Washington Market Park, told Community Board 1’s Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Committee last month that her group had hoped the park would close last July and August, months when it is less in use.  “But after [the Parks Department] blew through that date, we all decided to not ask them to delay.”

“But I agree,” she added, “May and June is the worst time of the year.” 

When the park closes, two fence panels will be removed to create a timber entrance for construction equipment. The Parks Department has yet to set a date for the start of work. 

“We are actively working with community groups to finalize a timeline that minimizes disruption,” a Parks Department spokeswoman said in an email to the Trib. “Once a schedule is confirmed we will notify the community.”

“The procurement process experienced delays, which pushed the project timeline,” she noted. “Our priority has always been to keep the park open as long as possible while ensuring necessary repairs move forward.”

The long term goal of the Friends group, which runs the park’s popular free events, is a major redo of the park, including all new play equipment, at a cost of $5.3 million. In the meantime, they hope to fundraise for an estimated half-million dollars to pay for the most pressing needs, such as replacing the play surface of the playground, refinishing the flaking paint of the play structures, and permanently removing the sand. (The work scheduled for this month was allocated through discretionary city funds from City Councilman Christopher Marte.)

“There’s a lot of on-site treatments that could be done that would make a huge, huge improvement,” said Friends of Washington Market Park member Kristen Korndoerfer, who works as a construction consultant. “Pretty much everyone is in agreement, both community and Parks, that the sand pit is no good,” she said, noting that the wind blows the sand and kids scoop it up and pour it in drains and the water fountain. “And rats love it.”

Funds raised by Friends of Washington Market Park, along with Parks Department money, is paying for the replacement of rotted footings for the play structure at the north end of the playground. 

Opened in 1983 after being run for several years as an interim park (the tennis and basketball courts had originally been located in the main park), a needs assessment led to the complete redesign of the playground and other changes that were completed in 2003. An unusual funding arrangement with the city has underpinned the park’s maintenance, construction projects and many events over the years. That funding first came to the park via payments to the city in lieu of taxes from the owner of a parking lot at Warren and Greenwich streets. Later, the developer of that lot, the building anchored by Whole Foods, gave a lump sum of about $9 million to the Parks Department for use by the park: $400,000 a year for staffing and, until five years ago, $20,000 a year for events. (There was discussion at the CB1 meeting of redirecting some of the staffing money.)

As that money dwindled, the Friends group began funding park events themselves. And now, with no shortage of costly needs in sight, Korndoerfer noted, “we’re taking advantage of any funds, any help, anything that comes from a city agency or elected official, and we will make the most out of it as efficiently and thoughtfully as possible.”

“We also will continue to privately fundraise,” she added, “because we know that process is quicker.”