DeLury Square

The Daily Plant : Friday, September 11, 2009

On Eve of 9/11 Anniversary, a New Park Blooms in Lower Manhattan

On September 10, Commissioner Benepe joined David Emil, President of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation; Council Member Alan J. Gerson; and Harry Nespoli, President of the Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association, to break ground on the new John DeLury Square Park, located at the intersection of Fulton and Gold Streets in historic Lower Manhattan. Representatives from Community Board 1, Southbridge Towers, Two Bridges Neighborhood Council and the Downtown Alliance also attended the event. The park will be created on the site of the existing John DeLury Sr. Plaza as well as additional open space resulting from the realignment of Fulton and Gold streets. The project is funded by $2.6 million provided by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation as part of the City’s effort to increase parks and open spaces in the downtown area in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.

“DeLury Square Park will offer a peaceful, green oasis within this densely populated and busy commercial and residential area,” said Commissioner Benepe. “We are grateful to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation for providing $2.6 million in funding to build this attractive, safe, and accessible park, which is a critical asset for the neighborhood as well as for the ongoing revitalization of the Fulton Street Corridor. With a beautiful new fountain, graceful layout, new benches and thoughtful landscaping, DeLury Square will offer New Yorkers a welcome respite from the busy canyons of downtown Manhattan.”

The purpose of this project is to utilize the new space formed by the realignment of Fulton and Gold Streets, by creating a new public green space. The City acquired 5,792 square feet of land from the Southbridge Towers Co-op to create the new park. The existing John DeLury Sr. Plaza will be demolished in the course of the street realignment, and the name will be transferred to the new park.

The new 8,850 square foot park will include a display fountain, which will provide a visual focal point in the park while helping to mask noise from the adjacent streets. The existing large trees will be complemented by new trees and plantings, arranged to provide a lush, green landscape. New benches with a simple and graceful style that matches the fountain will accommodate those wishing to rest within the park. A new drainage system and a drinking fountain will also be included in addition to a steel perimeter fence, entrance gates that lock and new lighting for added security.

The triangle created by the intersection of Fulton and Gold Streets was turned into a popular small park in 1984. The plaza was named for John DeLury Sr., who founded Local 831 of the Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association in 1956 and served as its president until 1978.

In addition to DeLury Square Park, the revitalization of the Fulton Street Corridor includes Imagination Playground at Burling Slip which is in construction, and Pearl Street Playground and Titanic Park which will undergo construction shortly.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the City has increased green space in lower Manhattan through renovating old parks and creating new ones. Renovated parks include: Columbus Park (including the historic pavilion), Bowling Green, Ballfields in East River Park, Sara D. Roosevelt Park Multi-purpose Field and Track, the British Garden at Hanover Square, Tribeca Park, Washington Market Park Lawns, Alfred E. Smith Park, Old Slip, and the Bosque Gardens and Fountain in Battery Park. New parks that were created and are currently open to the public include Canal Park, CaVaLa Park, Coenties Slip, Drumgoole Plaza, Manahatta (Wall Street) Park, and Pearl Street Playground.

Parks also has plans to renovate Sara D. Roosevelt Park Hester Street Playground (in construction), Washington Market Park Comfort Station (in construction), Battery Park Playground and Seaglass Carousel, Hester Street Playground, Pike and Allen Street Malls, and Collect Pond Park. New parks that will be created include Catherine Slip, Montgomery Slip, Peck Slip, James Madison Plaza.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.”

Dan Rather
(1931 - )