Public Space on Park Avenue

This in-person program in the gallery will also be streamed online. The nominal “park” of the Park Avenue median from 46th Street to 57th Street has stretched and shrunk over the past century. Created out of thin air from 1903 to 1913 during the electrification and double decking of the New York Central’s railyard, underground, Park Avenue is both a bridge and a tunnel. Above “ground,” it is one of the world’s greatest urban boulevards. Now, the century-old infrastructure of road and bridge is the focus of a lengthy rehabilitation effort by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Metro-North Railroad, which is responsible for the maintenance and reconstruction of the Grand Central Terminal Train Shed. Over the coming years, as the roof is repaired in phases, Park Avenue’s medians will be widened and the public space redesigned. Working with the landscape architects of Starr Whitehouse, NYC DOT is engaged in the final stages of “putting the ‘park’ back in Park Avenue." The City aims to transform the avenue into a greener, safer, and more pedestrian-friendly corridor. Key elements of the new design include a wider median, pedestrian enhancements, seating, landscaping, and innovative streetscape amenities. This final program in the Museum’s series Park Avenue: Past, Present, Future brings together key members of the Park Avenue team to discuss their process and plans. The panelists include: Laura Starr is a founding partner of Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners, the firm that is leading the Park Avenue Vision Plan for the NYC DOT to create a cohesive community-informed redesign for the streetscape of Park Avenue between 46th Street and 57th Street in Manhattan's Midtown East neighborhood. Nicholas Pettinati is the Deputy Director of Urban Design at the New York City Department of Transportation. He has been instrumental in advancing the agency’s design standards through the Street Design Manual, El-space initiative, and multiple capital projects and is leading the Park Avenue Vision Plan for the NYC DOT. Jamie Torres-Springer is the President of MTA Construction & Development and Chief Development Officer for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) . He is responsible for managing the MTA's expansive capital budget, which includes major subway, commuter railroad, and tunnel infrastructure upgrades. He is leading the MTA's long-term challenge with rebuilding/maintaining the entire infrastructure under Park Avenue. To register for this FREE program, click on the link above to RSVP. You will be redirected to Ticketstripe to reserve your seat. Members receive priority registration by emailing programs@skyscraper.org with the names of all guests. Want to become member? Click here! The program will also be livestreamed to the Skyscraper Museum YouTube channel. You do NOT need to register for the livestream. .fl-node-fuwmsaj5ltyd.fl-animation:not(.fl-animated) {opacity:0}