Latest news with #VitalParksforAll
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Greatest honor of my career': NYC Parks Commissioner announces resignation
NEW YORK (PIX11) — On Monday, Sue Donoghue announced that she will be stepping down as the Commissioner of NYC Parks. Donoghue released a statement that reads: 'Serving as Commissioner of NYC Parks has been the greatest honor of my career.' More Local News Donoghue noted major accomplishments over the last three years, including expanding greenspace access in New York City through Vital Parks for All, and making 'historic progress' in public safety at pools and beaches. 'I'm incredibly proud of all we've accomplished to make our parks cleaner, greener, and more equitable, and I'm confident this important work will continue in the hands of NYC Parks' dedicated public servants.' Mayor Eric Adams released a statement regarding Donoghue's resignation that reads: 'From cleaning up our city's parks to expanding green spaces and making swimming classes more accessible, Commissioner Sue Donoghue has been an invaluable part of our administration, and her impact will be felt for generations to come. Through our work together, we've achieved the most significant changes to lifeguard contracts in over 40 years, expanded free swimming classes to more than 18,000 young New Yorkers, and begun transforming the 70-year-old Brownsville Recreation Center into a revitalized community hub, among so many other accomplishments. We thank Sue for her years of dedicated service to the city and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.' Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
East River path in Manhattan faces detour
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — Visitors and neighbors want to know what's happening to a well-known pathway in Manhattan along the East River. A detour redirects pedestrians and cyclists when they arrive at an area between East 71st and 78th streets. People have to travel seven blocks on York Avenue. It has been in place for about four years. More Local News Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is building a new tower over the FDR Drive at the point of closure. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation also has to repair sinkholes in the area. Friends of the East River Esplanade have been advocating for two decades to bring attention and improvements to the entire stretch. Jennifer Ratner founded the group, and she wants more from the hospital and city. 'It makes me really angry when I see this. Waterfront parks are contiguous like the West Side and Brooklyn. This has cut it off for four springs and summers. I've asked them many times to do something at the entrance. At night, it's scary,' Ratner said. The parks department is creating new signs to navigate the detour. 'We remain committed to growing greenways: through our Vital Parks for All plan, there is an investment of more than $1 billion by Parks and City agency partners to meet the growing demand for biking and walking connections that link parks to one another and to business districts, improving livability, health, and the environment in disadvantaged communities across the five boroughs,' wrote the spokesperson in an email to PIX11 News. HSS expects to finish construction this fall and open the new facility for patients in the first half of 2026. 'In conjunction with the construction of the Kellen Tower, HSS is planning a beautification project of the East River Esplanade from 72nd to 78th streets, including new pavers, landscaping, and an area for exercise equipment,' wrote Melissa Kiefer, HSS vice president for Project Development, Planning, Design, and Construction. HSS work on the esplanade is scheduled to begin this summer and to be completed in spring of 2026, 'pending the progress of the Parks project that has overlapping areas of improvement work,' Kiefer added. Ratner wants to see improvements this year. 'HSS used the esplanade for free, and it needs to do the work. Parks has said it would do infrastructure work for years, but hasn't. Signage is not enough,' Ratner said. The elevated path runs in sections from Lower Manhattan to Harlem. In 2023, a major new area of parkland opened in Midtown. Parts of the uptown section have been closed for repairs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
