The city of New York has laid out a 10-year US$300m (€271m, £226m) fund-raising and improvement scheme aimed at restoring and maintaining Central Park’s historic structures and landscapes.
The Central Park Conservancy which manages the iconic New York landmark unveiled 'Forever Green: Ensuring the Future of Central Park', which would include the the restoration of Belvedere Castle and the park’s Children’s District. The Naumburg Bandshell – a site used for free concerts – is also in dire need of repair, with plans for a new façade, stage and upgraded infrastructure.
The campaign includes plans to restore the park’s arches, bridges and waterways to the original vision of designers Olmsted and Vaux, who wanted the North Woods to be the Adirondacks (a New York mountain range) for people of New York City who couldn’t afford to go to the Adirondacks.
US$112m (€101m, £84.3m) has already been raised of the US$300m total, which includes a US$25m (€22.5m, £18.8m) gift from the Thompson Family Foundation.
The Conservancy, which has managed and maintained Central Park since 1980, has an annual operating budget of US$65m (€58.7m, £48.9m) for operating and capital expenses, a quarter of which is paid as part of a 10-year management agreement renewed in 2013.
