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Efforts to redevelop Governors Island are underway
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A Request for Proposals (RFP) has been issued to redevelop the 150-acre portion of Governors Island owned by the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC), Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor George Pataki announced February 15th.
GIPEC, a subsidiary of the Empire State Development Corporation, is seeking qualified individuals, teams, corporations, and/or organizations to rehabilitate the island's infrastructure and historic structures as well as reconnect it to the broader New York community. The mayor and governor announced that New York City and State have raised their combined contribution to fund this project by an additional $30 million, bringing the total commitment to more than $120 million.
"The redevelopment of Governors Island is part of the renaissance and rebirth of Lower Manhattan. This long-underutilized natural treasure will offer not only tremendous parks and open spaces but new bold opportunities," Pataki said in a statement.
Governors Island, a 172-acre sanctuary, is located in New York Harbor, approximately one-half mile from Battery Park. In early 2003, the federal government returned the island to the city, state, and National Park Service for public use, after two centuries of restricted military utilization. The area proposed for redevelopment in the RFP is separate from the 22-acre portion known as the Governors Island National Monument, which is administered by the National Park Service.
"Governors Island is a special place, and we must take this opportunity to preserve the island's historic buildings and create something extraordinary that will resonate across the globe and benefit New Yorkers for generations to come," Bloomberg said in a statement.
With the issuance of the RFP, GIPEC seeks to make Governors Island a world-class and celebrated New York destination. This effort will include the preservation and adaptive reuse of existing historic structures; the creation of commercial, educational, cultural, recreational, and tourism uses; infrastructure improvements; public open space; and new waterfront development.
Respondents may submit proposals to redevelop all of the area, to develop a portion of it, or to occupy space in an existing or new building. Responses to the RFP are due by May 10. Finalists are expected to be announced by mid-September, and a selection will be made by November 2006.
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, with assistance from STV Inc. and Leitner-Poma of America, has also contributed to the effort to redevelop Governors Island, submitting pro-bono basis renderings and related design work for an aerial gondola that, if constructed, could provide connections between Governors Island, Brooklyn, and Lower Manhattan. These connections not only would support visits to Governors Island, but could provide an additional transportation option between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.
For more information, go to www.govisland.com.
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