$2.5 Million State Grant Nearly Completes Funding

We are excited to announce that Luther Gulick Park will receive $2.5 Million in state grants toward the capital renovation of the park. Awarded by the Department of Transportation’s Transportation Enhancement Program, the money will pay for construction of pathways, sidewalks, lighting, bicycle parking, greenery and landscaping, which will ameliorate the affects of the Williamsburg Bridge and traffic along Delancey St.

This nearly doubles the funds on hand and means we only need to raise about $500,000 more from local officials. We anticipate we can do this during the budgeting cycles that end in July. Having all the funds up front means the entire project can be completed in one phase, saving time and money in the long run.

The Friends of Gulick Park extend our thanks to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for his long standing support and for helping us coordinate with NYC Parks to write this grant’s application. Speaker Silver writes in his press release:

“I am thrilled that we are able to make these vital improvements to Gulick Park, a treasured part of our Lower East Side community,” Silver said. “In a neighborhood that has long suffered from a lack of open space, Gulick Park serves an enormous need for our children and all of our residents on both sides of Delancey Street. I remember playing basketball there as a boy, back when it was called Sheriff Street Park. It makes me so proud to be able to create a vibrant new park there today.”

We are pleased that we are now nearing the culmination of four years’ of volunteer effort, of continued support from Margaret Chin, the City Council and the borough president’s office, and of the sustained enthusiasm of our neighbors.

 

Luther Gulick Playground _ Conceptual Plan

Comments are closed.