New York J 2614: Commemorating the 155th Anniversary of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York

Bill Text

Senate Resolution No. 2614
 Senator MYRIEBY:
          the  155th  Anniversary of ProspectCOMMEMORATING
        Park in Brooklyn, New York
    It  is  the  sense  of  this  Legislative  Body  that  theWHEREAS,
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
    Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with itsWHEREAS,
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
commemorate the 155th Anniversary of Prospect Park; and
    Established  in  1867,  Prospect Park is a 585-acre publicWHEREAS,
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
    This  architecture  team  was  essential  in  transformingWHEREAS,
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
   Within Prospect Park, there  are  seven  playgrounds,  someWHEREAS,
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
   Following the Great Depression, Robert Moses, the New  YorkWHEREAS,
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
     The  projects  completed  under  Robert  Moses'  guidanceWHEREAS,
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
    During the 1970s, New York fell under a significant fiscalWHEREAS,
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
   After the bronze sculpture of Columbia at Grand Army  PlazaWHEREAS,
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
    Due  to  the  concerned citizen's persistence, the BoroughWHEREAS,
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
    During this time, a group of private citizens working withWHEREAS,
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
    Starting  with  the special campaign to restore the Park'sWHEREAS,
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
    In  the  1990s,  the  Alliance  embarked  on  an ambitiousWHEREAS,
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
    In  2009,  the Alliance announced a radical redesign whichWHEREAS,
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
   With the collaboration  of  the  prestigious  architecturalWHEREAS,
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
    Today, Prospect Park is home to 50 species of butterflies,WHEREAS,
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
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