“Hammock Grove Here We Come”
Jul 10, 2012 8:53 pm
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After stopping by our exhibit on the plans for the island, visitors have left comments asking for more hammocks.[/caption] If you haven’t stopped by our exhibit on the new Park and Public Space Master Plan in building 110, you really should. Every Monday, I get to read the comments visitors have left on Post-it® notes all over the wall. Some people have written how excited they about the plan or what a great trip to the island they had. Others have offered advice about what they would like to see in the park. I recently noticed a few that asked for more hammocks and thought it would be a great time to talk about Hammock Grove, considering its construction has just begun. While we currently have some hammocks at Picnic Point, there are not enough to satisfy all the demand. That’s why we are thrilled that Hammock Grove is already being built. Part of Phase 1 of our park plan, Hammock Grove, as the name suggests, will be a heavily wooded area south of Liggett Plaza filled with hammocks. Crews are already crafting the surface on top of which Hammock Grove will grow. Fill is being brought onto the island by barge and then placed into dump trucks (below) that weigh 50 tons when full. Afterwards, bulldozers and steamrollers smooth the surface. A cool fact I learned is that the bulldozers have GPS nodes on top of their blades which allows a computer to shape the surface to exact specifications. Photos really cannot express how impressive it is to be standing on this huge undulating expanse. Even more amazing to me, is how fast it is rising. [caption id=“attachment_5411” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]
A truck bringing fill to the future site of Hammock Grove.[/caption] When Hammock grove is complete, 1,500 new trees from 55 different species will have been planted. In their shade, visitors to the island will be able to sit and read a book or take a nap on the new hammocks. These seven acres will include nut producing trees as an homage to the original name of Governors Island, Nooten Eylandt (Nut Island). Though we are not yet at the point of adding trees, we will keep you updated as work on Hammock Grove and the rest of the island continues. [caption id=“attachment_5408” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]
A rendering of the future Hammock Grove designed by the landscape architecture firm, West 8.[/caption] For more information about the plans for the future of Governors Island, please visit our website.