Chelsea Residents Aim To Turn Old Lot Into New Park

By Harrison Golden

Despite ongoing attempts to construct a housing complex atop an abandoned lot, residents in Chelsea remain determined to turn it into a neighborhood green space.

Before leaving the 10,000-square-foot site in 2010, the New York City Department of Sanitation used 136 West 20^th Street to park its vehicles. But it has gradually become one of only a few open gathering places in the area.

“Chelsea is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing communities in Manhattan,” said Matt Weiss, a member of the Friends of 20^th Street Park committee. “With every new person who moves in, there are dogs who need walking, children who need playgrounds. We need space for all that.”

Since 2007, thirteen residential buildings, totaling nearly 700 housing units, have been constructed from 16th to 24th Streets between 6th and 8th Avenues. Currently, the closest park in the area is along 17th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.

In 2009, when the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy ranked each of Manhattan’s twelve community districts by accessibility to area parks, Community District 4 in Chelsea was placed last. Many in the area, from community board members to longtime residents, hope that creating a new 20^th Street park will help them rise in the ranks.

“There is an ongoing lack of balance between the amount of people moving into Chelsea and the amount of park space readily accessible to them,” said Corey Johnson, Vice Chair of Community Board 4. “The city needs to be smart, be aware, and take account of this.”

In recent months, the community has gained support from additional organizations, including New Yorkers for Parks, the Council of Chelsea Block Associations, Save Chelsea, and the Flatiron Alliance.

Furthermore, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has recently promised to find an alternative site for the affordable housing project originally slated for the Department of Sanitation land, and transform the plot on 20th street between Sixth and Seventh avenues into a park.

“We will continue to work hard and creatively in finding an alternative location for the affordable housing and are in the process of reviewing several potential sites,” Quinn told Chelsea Now.