Trust for Governors Island Announces Next Chapter in Governors Island Transformation
Dec 5, 2013 8:41 pm
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Aerial view of Governors Island, with Historic District in the foreground and new park and public spaces beyond. Image courtesy Carlo Buscemi Imagery.[/caption] The Trust for Governors Island (The Trust) today announced the next chapter in the transformation of Governors Island into a year-round vibrant destination in New York Harbor. The Trust announced at a meeting of its Board of Directors that it has designated three tenants for its historic buildings. The new tenant announced today is a day spa that will be open year-round to the public. In addition, the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Art Center at Governors Island, two existing Island tenants, will expand. The Trust also announced that for the first time, Governors Island will be open seven days a week in 2014, tripling the public access season from 40 to 120 days. The Island will be open from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September 2014. Visitors will enjoy the expanded public season in conjunction with the opening of 30 acres of new park spaces on the Island. To help fund this increased access and operations, The Trust will introduce a ferry fare for Brooklyn and Manhattan ferries, charging $2 round trip for adults on all weekday ferries and on afternoon ferries on Saturdays and Sundays. Children will continue to ride free and senior citizens’ fares will be half price. Morning ferries on Saturdays and Sundays will continue to be free for all. There will be no surcharge for bicycles. The Trust solicited and received feedback from a group of Island stakeholders in November about the proposed tenants, expansion of the season and ferry fare. The day spa, run by Quadratec QC Terme, will be open to the public. The spa will operate in three Island buildings and will feature indoor facilities and an outdoor courtyard for relaxation, and will offer a range of spa services. The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, a New York City public high school that currently occupies an historic building, will expand to an adjacent building, allowing it to grow its student body by more than 300 students. And Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Arts Center at Governors Island will expand to the lower level of the building it currently occupies, Building 110, to include additional artist studio space and a media lab, among other facilities. For more information read the full press release on our website at www.govisland.com.