Governors Island sits in one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the world, here in New York Harbor. The surrounding waterways provide the island with its spectacular views, and the separation caused by the water gives Governors Island its unique character, distinct from the rest of the city. However, those of you who have visited here know that despite being surrounded by water, the island is without a source of clean drinking water. (For those planning a visit, we do have bottled water for sale)
Construction on the southern half of the island
As part of Phase 1 of our Park and Public Space Master Plan, we are going to change that! The installation of pipes that will carry potable water is one of the many infrastructure projects in Phase 1. Others include repairing the seawall and upgrading Soissons Landing. While the new park is a very exciting aspect of Phase 1, these back of house improvements are equally important to the future of Governors Island.
To see the entire plan, visit www.govislandpark.com.
Filed under: Construction, Park and Public Space Master Plan Tagged: | governors island, Infrastructure, Water
Governors Island, where I lived as a kid from 1926 until 1943, always had an abundance of fresh drinking water, piped from Brooklyn under the Buttermilk Channel. Potable water was so plentiful that our YMCA swimming pool was drained, scrubbed by prisoners, and refilled every Thursday night, and no chlorine or other purifying chemicals were ever needed. It was the job of Mr. Joyce, the Post plumber, to see that Governors Island was never without water Jerry Keough