Construction Begins For Lincoln Center’s Campus Redesign: What to Know

By Gus Saltonstall

Those who frequent the Lincoln Center campus might have noticed construction equipment, staging, and fencing going up in recent days.

The work is part of Lincoln Center’s West Initiative, which will open up the Amsterdam Avenue side of the Upper West Side arts center to “create a more welcoming edge on the west side.” Specifically, the work will center on a redesign of the current site of Damrosch Park, the tree-lined concrete plaza that includes seating areas and performance spaces.

In this redesign, the southern part of the wall that blocks access to Lincoln Center from the Amsterdam Avenue side of the campus will be knocked down.

Lincoln Center first announced its $335 million West Initiative in June of 2023, and now the construction process has begun.

Here’s what to know and what to look out for:

Fencing, which began going up this week, will continue to be erected on the east side of Amsterdam Avenue and the north side of West 62nd Street along the perimeter of Damrosch Park. Due to this fencing, the transverse off West 62nd Street that runs along the Koch Theater will be closed to the public during the construction period.

This walkway is frequently closed even when there isn’t construction, as it used for event load-ins. The Lincoln Center plaza can still be accessed from Columbus Avenue, about half a block away.

Along with the construction fencing, signage related to the work has also been posted in the surrounding area.

The signs, which will be posted weekly, indicate this first stage of work will take place Wednesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an “attempt to do everything possible to mitigate noise.”

The work at Damrosch Park is expected to be completed in 2028, with these changes when it reopens:

• New entrances along Amsterdam Avenue
• Gardens with increased biodiversity
• 50 percent more trees than currently in the park
• An interactive water feature
• A world-class amphitheater

Here is a rendering of what Damrosch Park will look like after the work.

The plan calls for replacing the trees currently in the park. The majority of the large trees will be repurposed; the smaller trees, many of which are struggling, will be recycled into mulch for use in gardens, according to a spokesperson from Lincoln Center.

Finally, the northbound M11 bus stop at West 63rd Street and Amsterdam has been moved — to make room for construction — to a temporary stop one block south on the corner of West 62nd Street and Amsterdam.

You can read more about Lincoln Center’s West Initiative — HERE.

Read More:

• Lincoln Center’s Push to Reimagine Amsterdam Side of Campus: First Phase to Focus on 62nd Street Park
• Proposed Lincoln Center Redesign Promises More Green Space and a Warmer Welcome to Its West Side Neighbors
• New Renderings Show More Details of the Park and Performance Space planned for Lincoln Center’s West Side

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