Governors Island Blog

Field Report: The wall begins

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Claire

The first part of Governors Island’s 2.2 mile seawall rehabilitation has begun. About 3,000 feet of the seawall will be replaced by a revetment (sloped stone construction) starting under the watchful eye of Lady Liberty near Picnic Point. The stones are huge and the work takes place when the tides are friendly, so we have a long way to go. Our dedicated crew is hard at work rain or shine. In addition to being super cool looking, the revetment and rehabilitated wall will be great for the Island. Check out our flickr album for more seawall construction pics and stay tuned for further field reports!

The first 20′ of revetment being installed.

Looking at the wall work from the harbor.

Filed under: Construction | Tagged: field report, seawall | 1 Comment »

Building 877 Implosion Wrap-Up

Posted on June 17, 2013 by sarahpelosidunn

On Sunday June 9th, at precisely 7:36am, we imploded Building 877. The day was both emotional and exciting as we said goodbye to the largest non-historic structure on the Island to clear space for new public park and public spaces and unparalleled views. For a flipbook of the implosion, visit our Flickr page.

New Yorkers woke at dawn to watch the implosion. A photo gallery of this momentous day is up on Flickr. People were able to view the implosion from points around the New York Harbor and in their PJs over livestream. If you missed the implosion, you can still catch it here.

We were thrilled with the extensive coverage of the moment marking progress towards new open spaces on-Island for all to enjoy. Some of our favorites include:

“Building imploded on Governor’s Island,” ABC Local News
“With Thunderous Blasts, a Governors Island Holdout Tumbles to Earth,” New York Times
“The building #implosion on #governorsisland #FDNY,” Video taken by the NY Fire Department from the Staten Island Ferry, Vine

Building 877 had a long history on the Island — it once served as housing for Coast Guard families. It was the largest building to be imploded in the City in a decade.

Filed under: Construction, Weekend Report | Tagged: Building 877, Implosion | Leave a Comment »

This Weekend on Governors Island: We Have All of Our Ongoing Exhibits and Events PLUS the Jazz Age Lawn Party, Writing On It All and Much More!!

Posted on June 13, 2013 by hy0rk

Courtesy of Florian Koenigsberger

This weekend, June 15-16, we’re offering a whole bunch of awesome public programs and events for our beloved visitors! Join us on the Island for:

• Jazz Age Lawn Party: Michael Arenella and His Dreamland Orchestra invite you to the beloved Jazz Age Lawn Party — a dream of the 1920s nestled right in the heart of New York Harbor! Now in its eighth year, the event has become the quintessential outdoor celebration of the Jazz Age and its living legacy. Under a canopy of century-old trees, caressed by fresh sea air, a delightful array of offerings abound throughout the day including: live music and dance performances, dance instruction for the hottest dance steps of the time, games for all ages and a wide variety of 1920′s inspired refreshments and gourmet food for purchase. Tickets are required for this event. Advance General Admission tickets can be purchased at http://dreamlandorchestra.com/calendar.php. If space is available, tickets will be sold at the door

• WWII & NYC: Photography and Propoganda: This exhibition paints a vivid picture of life in war-mobilized New York, when virtually every industry, institution and home was transformed into a venture to support Allied victory. Through moving black-and-white photos, iconic propaganda posters and an authentic Victory Garden, experience what total war meant for New Yorkers. Hands-on activities for all ages will be offered beginning July 13th.

• The Skate Truck NYC: The Skate Truck NYC will provide roller-skating equipment, helmets and safety equipment to skaters of any age. Skate for fun. Skate for health. Skate for life! For more information visit skatetrucknyc.com

• Writing On It All: Writing on It All is a series of participatory events where artists, writers, and interested members of the public can come together to write all over the inside of an out-of-use house in Nolan Park. Participants explore the nature of writing as collaborative, material, site-specific, and ephemeral. Through prompts that support site-specific writing, invited artists and the public will have the chance to explore the relation between writing, history and the constructed environment of Governors Island. For more info on sessions and artists visit writingonitall.com

Check out our full events calendar for the complete list of the stupendous programs coming to Governors Island this weekend and the rest of the summer.

Can’t wait to see you all on the Island!

Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Watch 11-Story Building Implosion on Governors Island in your Pajamas

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Ellen

This YouTube stream is dark now, but starting at 7:20 am on Sunday, June 9, you will be able to view the implosion of Building 877 on Governors Island. The implosion is scheduled for 7:36 AM – don’t miss it! You can also view it from points around the harbor!

The implosion of Building 877, the tallest non-historic building on Governors Island will open up extraordinary views of the Statue of Liberty and create space for 30 acres of new parks and public spaces.

Filed under: Construction, Park and Public Space Master Plan | Tagged: Building 877, Implosion | 1 Comment »

Top 5 Places in NYC to Watch Sunday’s High-rise Implosion – Where Will YOU Be?

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Ellen

Building 877

In order of AWESOME, here are our top five picks for places to watch us implode a derelict 11-story high-rise building on Governors Island to make way for the Island’s next chapters. We ‘re sure there are more! If you can see 877 now, you can see the implosion on Sunday. Where will YOU be watching from?

The implosion will happen at 7:36 am on Sunday, June 9. If you’re not so much an early bird, you can view it live in your p.j.’s on on this blog or directly on YouTube.

TOP 5 PLACES TO VIEW THE IMPLOSION

5) The foot of Pioneer Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn
4) Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian and Bike Path, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
3) Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey
2) Battery Park Promenade, Lower Manhattan
1) 7:30 AM Staten Island-bound Staten Island Ferry

Filed under: Construction, Park and Public Space Master Plan | Tagged: Building 877, Implosion | Leave a Comment »

This Weekend: FIGMENT Festival and Where to See Building 877 Come Down

Posted on June 5, 2013 by sarahpelosidunn

FIGMENT 2012

Come Out For Figment Weekend!

FIGMENT is back! Come out to the Island this Saturday and Sunday for artist designed miniature golf, the Tree House, the City of Dreams Pavilion and all of the incredible performances, music and art of FIGMENT. FIGMENT takes place all weekend, on both Saturday and Sunday.

Building 877

Where Will You Watch Building 877 Implode?

This Sunday, The Trust for Governors Island will implode Building 877, the Island’s largest non-historic building and you have many options to see it live!

The building will be imploded at precisely 7:36 AM and will open up extraordinary views of the Statue of Liberty and make space for 30 glorious acres of new park and public spaces.

Governors Island will be closed to the public during the implosion, but you can still watch the action in person. To see the building come down, head to the Battery or Liberty State Park, or better yet, take a ride on the 7:30 AM Staten Island Ferry from lower Manhattan. Barring any changes in schedule, those travelling on the ferry will get a great view of the event. For those of you who prefer to watch the excitement in your pajamas, we will be livestreaming this major milestone.

The Trust wants to see what the public sees from its vantage point and invites everyone to follow the event on Twitter (@gov_island) and post pictures on Facebook (Governors Island), Flickr (Governors Island group) and Instagram (@governorsisland). Share your pictures!

Governors Island will open as it normally does on Sunday mornings at 10 AM.

Filed under: Announcements, Art on the Island, Construction, Park and Public Space Master Plan, Weekend | Tagged: Building 877, Figment, Implosion | Leave a Comment »

Share Your Building 877 Memories

Posted on June 5, 2013 by sarahpelosidunn

Building 877 in 2004 by Lisa Kereszi

This Sunday, June 9th at precisely 7:36am, we will be imploding the largest building on Governors Island, Building 877. This controlled demolition will clear space for over 30 acres of new park and public spaces. If you’d like to watch the implosion in real time, it can be seen from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, the Battery in New York City, or from the 7:30am Staten Island ferry leaving from Manhattan! We will also be livestreaming the implosion on this blog and through our youtube channel. Check back for more details later today.

Building 877 was constructed atop the landfill from the excavation from the Lexington Avenue subway line in 1905. With the consolidation of U.S. Military forces in 1966, the Island was transferred to the Coast Guard. Governors Island was the Coast Guard’s largest installation, serving both as a self-contained residential community, with an on-island population of approximately 3,500, and as a base of operations for the Atlantic Area Command and Maintenance and Logistics Command as well as the captain of the Port of New York. Building 877 was built to serve as housing for Coast Guard families. Though no longer functional, Building 877 has remained on the Island since it was abandoned in 1996.

Former residents, please share your memories of Building 877 in the comments!

Filed under: Construction, History, Park and Public Space Master Plan | Tagged: Building 877, Implosion | 18 Comments »