Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image credit: CityLand
Elected officials announced new investment into Bronx beach pavilion reconstruction. On May 26, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio, alongside Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., announced a $50 million investment to redevelop the Bronx’s Orchard Beach pavilion in Pelham Bay Park. The money would go to restore the currently closed pavilion. The Mayor has committed $20 million in capital funding, and $10 million has been committed by each Governor Cuomo, Speaker Heastie and the Borough President.
The announcement was made at the official opening of Orchard Beach to the public for its summer season. Orchard Beach is the Bronx’s only public beach. The pavilion, which was constructed in the 1930s, was designed by architect Aymar Embury II, and overseen by Parks Commissioner Robert Moses. The building was designed with blue terra-cotta details and some Art Deco elements. The Landmarks Commission has ranked the building as “among the most remarkable public recreational facilities ever constructed in the United States.”
Located at the center of Orchard Beach, the pavilion was fenced off in 2007 due to its deteriorating condition. The construction is expected to begin this year and be completed by 2021. The project will be overseen by the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
“Together, we’re building a future for Orchard Beach that’s worthy of its history. Bronxites deserve to see the centerpiece of the Bronx Riviera restored to its former glory,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Orchard Beach and our other beautiful public beaches are open for the summer starting this weekend.”
“Orchard Beach is one of the jewels of our borough, and it has the potential to be an even greater tourist attraction, drawing in visitors from all over the region, if not the world,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
By: Jonathon Sizemore (Jonathon is the CityLaw Fellow and a New York Law School Graduate, Class of 2016).
