The Governors Island Park and Public Space Master Plan proposes a dramatic transformation of this once-abandoned island and accentuates the qualities of this unique place, transforming Governors Island into both a destination and landmark.

Developed from the 2006 international design competition winning entry, the vision has since been developed into richly conceived and feasible Master Plan, which will serve as the catalyst and driver for the redevelopment of the Island.

The Master Plan for the Governors Island Park and Public Spaces encompasses 87 acres. The landscapes of the northern Historic District total 33 acres and the new Park and Public Spaces to the south total 40 acres. The Great Promenade, 2.2 miles in length, runs the complete periphery of the Island.

The design team spent hundreds of hours on the Island, in all types of weather and seasons, to understand and incorporate micro and macro site conditions. They observed visitors’ use and mapped and analyzed actual Island events to develop future scenarios and to assess their potential for implementation.

The re-imagining of the Island landscape also goes hand-in-hand with its rediscovery by the people of New York City. Thousands of whom contributed ideas about what they would like to see in the park and public spaces. As such, the planning principles and design strategies are rooted in a deep understanding of the Island’s inherent attributes and its potential as a resource for the entire region.

The Island offers a world apart from New York City, an extraordinary vantage point on New York Harbor, and the chance to experience the sensations of a green Island surrounded by water and sky. Governors Island will re-emerge as extraordinary new public park that embraces all New York Harbor, its ecology, its history, its culture and its magnificent beauty: an icon for the city, a beacon in the harbor.

The first of implementation was completed in fall of 2013 and Phase 2 is set for completion in Summer 2015.