A rendering of the museum from above. the Gilder Center is depicted at the bottom in the middle, near Columbus Avenue.
The main group opposing the expansion of the Museum of Natural History has accepted the near certainty of the project’s approval, and now is focusing on saving as many trees as possible.
The Defenders of Teddy Roosevelt Park announced today that president Sig Gissler is stepping down — he told us “at age 80, six months at the helm are enough.” The group’s board elected Adrian Smith, a landscape architect, to be the new president. The museum plans to construct a new complex called the Richard Gilder Center that will house educational space, exhibition halls, a library and a theater. The Defenders had initially argued that the museum should not encroach on any space in the surrounding Teddy Roosevelt Park. Opponents had begun to flex political muscle, with some loudly decrying City Council member Helen Rosenthal’s financial support for the museum.
But their opposition is mellowing. In a press release issued Wednesday, the Defenders mostly seem pleased that the museum expansion will swallow less parkland than they had feared. Their goal now is to shape the project to be as environmentally conscious as possible.
Some locals remain entirely opposed to the expansion — Cary Goodman, a local resident who also heads a business improvement district in the Bronx that wants the museum to locate there — has led more aggressive protests, including against museum board member Tina Fey. But the Defenders have made it clear that Goodman doesn’t speak for them.
The Defenders’ Wednesday release says:
Formed last July after the American Museum of Natural History proposed a major expansion into Theodore Roosevelt Park at 79th Street, the Defenders had a significant victory in November when the museum proposed a revised design that would take substantially less parkland than originally indicated.
Now, working with the community, the Defenders is focused primarily on making sure that the redesign of the park fully recreates its highly valued role as the neighborhood’s backyard.
The organization is also concerned about the proposed underground service drive. The museum project would remove two mature canopy trees with trunks that are over two feet in diameter, one of them a majestic English Elm.
“Among the important issues the Defenders intend to work on, tree preservation is high on the list,” Smith said. “The excavation for the underground drive threatens the survival of two important ones, so we’ve encouraged museum officials to change the drive’s layout to avoid the trees’ roots.”
The Defenders is concerned about other questions raised by the museum project, notably traffic congestion and environmental impact. However, the board has concluded that, at this stage, the most productive use of its time and resources is to be an effective voice in preserving the park’s treasured qualities as the redesign process moves forward.
Thank G-D (Or thank science, if you’re a non-creationist!) Happy to see the Defenders concentrate on the remaining part of the park, which I think is an important consideration.
Knew it was a done deal from the get-go, though the clueless NIMBY’s were given some consideration, which they really didn’t deserve. Glad the expansion is going forward. While trees are important, let me remind the NIMBY’s that there are still 17+ acres of trees surrounding the AMNH, not to mention another 843 acres in Central Park, just a block away, in case anyone hasn’t yet noticed.
Great article. It is nice to know that, without impeding progress, someone speaks for those trees. I live next door to the museum; my dog lives for the Bull Moose dog run. I fear the disruption, but realize that’s just part of living in NYC. Thanks for keeping us posted WSR.
Has it been confirmed whether the dog run will be preserved?
There are no plans to take away the dog run. WSR
I too hope AMNH can save more of the old trees. Selfishly, I wish the addition matched the museum’s rose granite color, and I wish they would open more of Teddy Roosevelt park for walking. Even so, thank you to the group for working on this.
I agree with your comment about the color. I would think they would try to bring the whole museum together. The proposed design doesn’t seem to. Any activist-designers out there?
The Board of the Defenders/Collaborators has surrendered before the public dialogue has begun. How shameful.
Close to 3,000 people signed their petition opposing the annexation of city park land. The Board is letting them down.
The problems with the plan are numerous and diverse, ranging from air quality to habitat loss to racism. None of these have been addressed by the museum or the Defenders/Collaborators.
CM Rosenthal should also be ashamed of herself. She is providing tens of millions of dollars for the plan without any public hearings. Both she and the Defenders/Collaborators have demonstrated a total disregard for the democratic process.
It is a sad state of affairs that the museum is planning to destroy thousands of square feet of Roosevelt Park. And, that the Defenders have become Surrenderers.
I was born in this borough 69 years ago and know that the city is choking. We need more space, sky and sunlight. We need the peace and sense of wonder they engender.
As far as being a NIMBY, I have no country home, backyard or terrace. The park is it.
I wish the NIMBY name-callers would examine their consciences and privilege instead of my motives.
I am delighted to see that this excellent addition is moving forward. This progressive agenda will certainly keep this museum relevant as one of the greatest in the world. The loss of the ancient trees are regrettable, but sadly necessary for the museum to remain in step with our times. I applaud our leaders who will be weathering the misguided opposition.