City Wants to Make Grand Central Stretch of Park Ave. Into a “Park” Again
The proposal would expand Park Ave.’s medians between E. 46th St. and E. 58th St., the better to allow for seating and greenery. It would align with ongoing work on the roof of Grand Central Terminal’s train shed, which happens to run below that stretch of Park Ave.
| 29 Aug 2024 | 04:24
A rendering, provided by the city’s DOT, depicts an expansion of park space that would be created by widening Park Avenue’s medians. (
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DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez helming a presser on the proposed expansion of Park Avenue’s medians, which would provide added green space for residents. (
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A stretch of Park Avenue between E. 46th St. and E 58th St. may soon host expanded public space and seating areas, if Mayor Eric Adams and the NYC DOT’s plans to widen the road’s medians come to fruition. The city announced the proposal to transform the area on August 27, and noted that they are looking for developer requests to make their vision come true.
Conveniently enough, the redesign is intended to align with ongoing construction work occurring underneath that stretch of Park Avenue, which happens to contain Grand Central Terminal Train Shed. The MTA’s Metro-North Railroad is currently repairing the shed’s roof.
Essentially, while the transit agency finishes improvements below-ground, the street’s medians will be widened into public space above ground. The first block of the MTA’s repairs, between E. 47th and E. 48th St., is expected to be completed by 2025; this means that it would also be the first block to feature expanded medians.
“Our ambitious project will ensure that as the MTA completes its underground structural work, the Park Avenue that goes back on top will be better than ever, with more space for people to enjoy the greatest city in the world,” Mayor Adams said in a statement.
DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez helmed the same-day press conference on the subject, without the mayor. He was instead joined by City Council Member Keith Powers, State Assembly Member Alex Bores, and Congressman Jerry Nadler. The speaking podium was plastered with the campaign’s wry slogan of “Putting the Park in Park Avenue”.
“We want to redefine Park Avenue as a greener, safer, and more welcoming corridor for all New Yorkers,” Commissioner Rodriguez said. According to the DOT, the overhaul specifically calls for “pedestrian enhancements, cycling infrastructure, landscaping, and innovative streetscape amenities.”
During his turn at the mic, Council Member Powers outlined a daydream of office-bound New Yorkers utilizing a transformed Park Avenue during their breaks. He could envision them “grabbing a coffee with a colleague, a friend, a future partner...or just simply enjoying the outdoor space on a beautiful day.”
Congressman Nadler pointed out the stretch of Park Avenue between E. 46th and E. 58th was currently “one of Manhattan’s most congested corridors.” If NYC refashions it so that there’s more room for public space, Nadler said, it would “create community” for “residents and visitors alike.” He concluded that it would also encourage biking, an emissions-free form of transportation.
Interestingly enough, widening the medians would technically be a process of restoring them to something resembling their original state, hence the “putting the park back” sloganeering. Before a 1927 expansion of the avenue’s roadway, its medians were wide enough to accommodate the public space that officials now want to more or less recreate.
The latest overhaul is a long time coming. The idea of widening the avenue’s medians stretches back as far as 2017, when it appeared in a design contest hosted by the real estate company Fisher Brothers. The DOT then put out a public survey seeking comment on how to best reimagine the roadway in 2020, and median-widening was eventually tucked into Making New York Work For Everyone, the city’s massive 2022 action plan.