The park brings a half acre of green space to the north edge of Tribeca

Yesterday the state and city broke ceremonial ground on downtown’s newest park. Named for Canal, Varick, and Laight, the streets that surround it, CaVaLa Park is the latest in the series of new green spaces funded in part by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation’s (LMDC) $20 million Open Spaces II grant program.

The $3.3 million triangular park brings a half acre of lawns, ornamental plantings, benches, decorative pavements, and perimeter trees to north Tribeca. At its center will be artist Elyn Zimmerman’s large sculptural water feature, which was inspired by the canal that ran nearby in the early 1800s.

LMDC Chairman Avi Schick joined New York City Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe and other downtown stakeholders for the park’s official groundbreaking on September 18th.

Construction funding comes from a $2.4 million LMDC grant, in addition to $500,000 from the Paul and Irma Milstein Foundation, and $396,000 from the Office of the Mayor. CaVaLa Park is expected to open to the public in summer 2009.

Related Links