Central Park Visitor Center, Garden To Become More Accessible

CENTRAL PARK, NY — The Central Park Conservancy is planning renovation projects to make two of the park's destinations accessible to mobility-impaired parkgoers, according to materials presented at the city Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The conservancy plans to add ADA-accessible ramps to the approach of Central Park's Dairy building — which serves as a visitors center and gift shop in the middle of the park near East 65th Street — and the Conservatory Garden off Fifth Avenue and East 105th Street.

Existing paths leading to the Dairy from East Drive are not considered ADA-accessible. The Conservancy's plans include widening the path to maintain a 14-foot-wide pedestrian walkway and create a 5-foot-wide ADA-accessible path with hand rails. The East Drive crosswalk leading to the Dairy will also be realigned to account for the widened path, according to a Central Park Conservancy presentation.

In addition to the accessibility improvements, the Conservancy will also re-do paving in the Dairy's loggia. Bluestone paving bands will be replaced and existing paving stones will be replaced with brick arranged in a herringbone pattern.

Improvements at the Conservatory Garden focus on the French Garden — located north of the garden's Fifth Avenue entrance — according to the presentation. Existing staircases that lead to the central Untermyer Fountain will be replaced with ADA-accessible ramps, which will feature extended cheekwalls. Other modifications include added handrails and re-graded paths to create a more seamless transition to the new ramp. The basin of the Untermyer Fountain will also be made more shallow to comply with current codes.

The two projects were presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Friday, May 8. The commission has not taken any action on the proposals, according to meeting minutes.