By Scott Etkin
The west side of Lincoln Center, the Upper West Side’s world-class performance space, runs for three blocks along Amsterdam Avenue between West 62nd and 65th streets. But pedestrians and local residents, such as residents of the Amsterdam Houses NYCHA buildings, are blocked from entering Lincoln Center there; there’s no entrance, only a concrete wall and a view of the back side of the Guggenheim Bandshell performance structure.
But this is set to change.
On Monday, Lincoln Center and its architects (Hood Design, Weiss/Manfredi, and Moody Nolan) presented a plan to the city’s Public Design Commission that would replace part of the wall (closest to West 62nd Street) and the current site of the bandshell with a public park. The plan would also create a new outdoor performance space oriented toward Amsterdam Avenue.
Nearly two years ago, Lincoln Center launched an effort to redesign the west side of the campus by soliciting feedback from community members and visitors. The interviews, focus groups, and other community outreach – including more than 500 workshop participants and 3,500 survey responses – conveyed a clear message: The existing architecture made people on the west side of the campus feel unwelcome.
“We heard that it is a true barrier, not only physical, but psychological, to coming to Lincoln Center,” Lincoln Center communications executive Leah Johnson told the Public Design Commission. “And that is not something that we want to have any longer.”
The commission reviews proposed changes to the city’s public spaces and structures. While the designs presented to it at Monday’s meeting are not final, they reflect a clear intention to make the west side of the campus more inviting to the public. The plans include widening the sidewalk and planting more street trees along Amsterdam Avenue, as well as adding seating to the nearby M11 bus stop. Unlike today’s Damrosch Park, which is on the southwest side of the campus, the proposed green space would be allowed to stay open to the public even while outdoor performances are happening.
The proposal calls for moving a new outdoor performance venue east, closer to Lincoln Center’s existing performance spaces. It will also be oriented at an angle in an attempt to limit the amount of ambient noise that carries into the neighborhood.
Members of the Public Design Commission said they wanted to see more detailed, eye-level renderings of the site. But overall, they applauded the ambition of the project and its goal of “righting a historic wrong” of how Lincoln Center came to be. San Juan Hill, a diverse, largely immigrant community of 7,000 families and 800 businesses, was displaced in the 1950s to make way for Lincoln Center.
The Commission did not vote on the plans shown Monday; Lincoln Center will return with additional designs in the coming months.
Lincoln Center has set an “aggressive” timeline for the project, hoping to begin construction in 2026 and reopen the space in May 2028. This timing would keep to their goal of cutting off public use of Damrosch Park and free summer performances for no more than two seasons.
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Where would the Big Apple Circus Tent set up? Or will that NYC Tradition be another casualty to “let’s spend as much money as we can for the modernization of needing absolutely no modernization” and destroy all that is Sacred?
I don’t think it will effect the Circus, because the Circus erects a tent — not a permanent structure. The Circus may have to move temporarily, because of construction, but so will the Out of Doors program and everything else. I am looking forward to the removal of the wall, and I’ve lived at Lincoln Center since 1986. I am not, however, looking forward to construction noise and dust!! Oh well, it will be temporary. The wall has always been problematic and keeps people from walking through the Center, even those of us who live there.
I wouldn’t really call Big Apple Circus ‘sacred’, and, they are the Big Apple Circus, not the Lincoln Center Circus; I think they could find another location.
Like where?
The Big Apple Circus is no longer non-profit. Why shoukd they get space is a public park?
That wall along Amsterdam in the picture, contains a parking lot under Damrosch Park, which is a City park and not part of Lincoln Center, though Lincoln Center behaves as if it were.
I see that the reporting acknowledges the park atop the wall, but that parking lot ain’t going anywhere.
Off the far left of the black and white photo above, there is a locked door to a set of stairs that leads up to park level behind the bandshell in a corner of the park that is often obstructed. Perhaps the stairs could be widened.
Probably not a good idea to have a new bandshell stage facing what is a new Fordham dorm on the street.
In short, there’s a lot of fantasy in this proposal.
Behaves like it were? You mean by maintaining it?
“maintaining”.
I actually see this as erasing the mural that reminds people that Lincoln Center was used as a reason to demolish the thriving San Juan Hill community. Another Seneca Village taken from POC for the rich white people of the area.
You mean the mural on Philharmonic Hall?
A lot of money on this project.
Would much rather that Lincoln Center spent the money on giving music lessons (real lessons) and tickets to low-income kids.
BTW Lincoln Center’s major renovation that started 2008-2009 (?) resulted in some expensive changes that did not work well or never used.
For example, the under-road driveway constructed in front of Lincoln Center was intended to be for vehicle drop-off.
It was hardly used – and now it is closed off.
Unbelievable.
We should be spending more money! This is not enough!
We?
Taxpayers..?!
And most of the pink granite paving stones are cracked, it’s not as if no one new that granite doesn’t have any shear strength when it’s only 2 inches thick.
Then it only occurred to Lincoln Center a few years ago to block off the entrance to the plaza from Columbus with large blocks of concrete so as to prevent someone from driving up onto the plaza and causing harm.
What are the plans to mitigate noise, dust and other particulate matter during demolition and reconstruction? Remember, this is still a residential neighborhood. Many families will be affected by living adjacent to a huge construction site unless proper measures are taken.
So do you want better access or do you want to leave it the way it is? You can’t have it both ways.
The proposed position of the new bandshell/stage would face toward Amsterdam Avenue and the Amsterdam Houses. Amplified music, sound checks, and noise from the stage would be directed at the Amsterdam Houses. Subjecting a neighborhood and its residents to noise doesn’t seem like “righting a historic wrong.” Not to mention the destruction of the historic Guggenheim Bandshell where Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Irving Berlin, Yo-Yo Ma and others performed.
“The proposal calls for moving a new outdoor performance venue east, closer to Lincoln Center’s existing performance spaces. It will also be oriented at an angle in an attempt to limit the amount of ambient noise that carries into the neighborhood.”
That is a good point
This monstrosity does not right any historic wrongs. I live west of Amsterdam, and I am in no way excluded. The “wall” is there because the site slopes down from East to West. It’s needed to provide a level campus. Duh.
To improve access, install escalators and an elevator at the southwest corner, similar to what was done at the Rose building on the northwest corner. That could be done with minimal disruption at a small fraction of the cost.
Instead, we have a virtue-signalling Frankenstein design that aims the amplified speakers of an outdoor concert hall at the stage of the Metropolitan Opera.
I believe you are incorrect. The righting wrongs pertains to the campus being open on the east side, but abruptly walled off on the west side where Amsterdam Housing is …
Should do the parking lots in Lincoln Towers next. Those look like they belong in a suburb somewhere, not the heart of the UWS.
Josh,
Do you live in Lincoln Towers?
You can suggest through your building.
I don’t. but I was thinking we could use the same process that was used to build Lincoln Towers.
Nothing in the proposed plan will benefit the Community devastated by the whole sale destruction of San Juan Hill. But no matter Lincoln Center will use that as cover to increase the opportunities for income creating programs, assure that Amsterdam houses will be subjected to more noise from performances. It’s supposed to be a Park! Building more structures that will be as neglected as the one that is there now won’t make that happen.
Just more political theater.
As cold, barren and unwelcoming the blocks on the west side of Lincoln Center are, this well intended project will be a huge waste of money. There are better ways to attract others who never set foot in Lincoln Center by offering different events, discounted tickets and programs aimed at inner city youth.
“Leaders” at institutions like Lincoln Center, the Central Park Conservancy, and AMNH justify their jobs by dreaming up capital projects “for the public.” They are never anything the public needs or wants and just uglify the neighborhood with years of construction and take away public space from us. The Conservancy has multiple projects going, walling off large amounts of the park and creating a generally ugly environment as we all go into the summer. Yet do they ever plant a tree? Stop hanging onto your comfy jobs at the public’s expense.
So the Central Park Conservancy shouldn’t have restored Central Park after it had fallen into disrepair in the 1970s, and where they’ve just completed a beautiful restoration of the Lasker Rink in the park’s northern end? And Lincoln Center and the Philharmonic shouldn’t have done a beautiful renovation of David Geffen Hall, where, among other things, the public can now see free live streams of concerts in its lobby? Or the AMNH shouldn’t have created the new Gilder Center, which brings great joy to children of all ages?
I want to party with you, Sue.
Good God, I don’t.
How about removing the similar wall along West End Ave to better incorporate the public housing with the retail, park space and transportation along the avenue
They recently REINFORCED the wall along West End Ave that had they opened it up would have allowed access to the M57 bus on West End Ave and 61st street! .. Perhaps they knew already that the M57 is never very full and is known to be the slowest bus in the whole of New York! …. It could do with some extra passengers!
The M57 is pretty full when I ride it. And not as slow (East 57th St corridor) as it used to be.
IMO the issue is lack of frequency.
YES,, exactly!!! I waited more than half an hour for it to arrive around 7.15 pm at W72nd st. on Wednesday evening. .. myself and at least 30 other people..
Exactly! ‘Lack of frequency’ Buses take forever to get us out of the FAR WEST SIDE starting at W.57th street to connect with the subways on Broadway!
Instead of spending a fortune on this simply unnecessary project how about directing the money towards a much needed renovation of the Metropolitan Opera House? I have traversed Lincoln Center for decades and the stairs to the right of the theater work perfectly fine. The community is hardly walled off from Lincoln Center and to suggest otherwise is a real stretch. May I suggest that a few extra step during the day never hurt anyone?
What is in need of renovation? If ever a theater did need to be reduced in size, it’s the Met.
So the bandshell will take the current park and put the park near the projects which will make it unsafe for the average person. The plaza has been closed for several years at night because the area became unsafe at night. I use to sit and drink coffee at the fountain at 5 am cant do that anymore due to safety concerns.
Oh no! Not more construction on Lincoln
Center!
The woke administration seeks to further destroy the cultural purpose of Lincoln Center.
Please define “woke.”
The proposed plan shown here is unexceptable because it does not clearly delineate Damrosh park and it seating as well as showing no sidewalk treatment along Amsterdam Avenue. It’s a pretty pathetic site plan overall!
There is definitely more than one bullet marks on that wall.
You’ve counted?
It’s hard to tell much from the drawing but I think it will be nice. The current football field sized slab of concrete isn’t that great. Also, I recall that the bathrooms behind the stage have a cool modern design. I hope they can keep those or at least keep the vibe.
Personally, I like the wall along Amsterdam. Makes me feel safer as I attend my beloved concerts and other musical events at Lincoln Center.
Really now, you enter Lincoln Center through Damrosch Park and you feel safer with that wall in place?
Almost no one going to an event at Lincoln Center enters from W60th street.