Pearl St Playground

The Daily Plant : Thursday, July 5, 2012

Newly Reconstructed $2.1 Million Pearl Street Playground Gives Kids A Place To Cool Off

Photo by Malcolm Pinckney

On June 22, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe joined President of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation David Emil and Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin to cut the ribbon on the reconstructed Pearl Street Playground in Lower Manhattan.

“Pearl Street Playground has become another great destination along the Fulton Street corridor,” said Commissioner Benepe. “Thanks to a $2.1 million allocation by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Parks was able to reconstruct the playground to create an improved public space, complete with new playground equipment and spray showers, for lower Manhattan kids who want to cool off, get out, and stay active.”

The project reconstructed the playground and expanded it into the roadbed of “Little Pearl” Street and includes new play equipment for kids and tots, a state-of-the-art safety surface that reflects the sun and absorbs heat, spray shower, benches, fencing, new pavement, and native plantings. The playground was designed in compliance with accessibility design standards. This enlarged park also has a pedestrian link to Beekman Street, several additional seating areas, a rock feature referencing the sandy bluff that once existed at this site, and direct views to the South Street Seaport district.

This is the fourth park renovation that has been completed along the Fulton Street corridor in the last two years, including DeLury Square Park, Titanic Park, and Imagination Playground which was also built nearby next to the South Street Seaport.

Pearl Street Playground has a rich history. It was originally half of the block bounded by Pearl, Water, Fulton, and Beekman Streets. The block was split in half in the 1970’s when Pearl Street was connected to Water Street. The park’s earliest history was at the base of the sandy bluff that led down to the tidal estuary of the original tidal zone of New York. Various residential, commercial and industrial buildings occupied the site before they were demolished for the street widening and cut through.

Being an intern in revenue definitely has its perks. Working on the top floor of the Arsenal gives me a great view of the city and we have windows overlooking the seals in the Central Park Zoo.

Over the past few weeks as a revenue intern I have been a part of many interesting and diverse projects. My first project included working on a Request for Bids (RFB) for the Central Park Book Stalls. I helped create a submission guide for proposers wishing to sell books in Central Park. After that, I began working on issuing permits to Christmas tree vendors. First, we determined the highest bidder for each location and then gathered up all the necessary documents from each winner.

I’m also working with tennis professionals citywide, to set them up with permits so that they can teach lessons on the various tennis courts throughout the parks. One of the larger projects I’ve been helping with is the Central Park push-cart vendors project. Over 100 bids were received and we sorted through all of them, determining the winner of each location. All of these projects have allowed me to gain insight into the inner workings of the Parks Department. Each of these projects has many steps and requires close attention to detail. I’ve made a few mistakes but I’ve learned from all of them.

In addition to the in-office projects, I also get to do work outside the Arsenal, including attending a carousel grand opening. As a revenue division intern, I am assigned new and different tasks every day, which keeps my job interesting. As the summer progresses I hope to perfect the skills I’ve been taught and learn a few new ones.
Written by Revenue Division Intern Madeleine Skaller

(1757 – 1827)