As part of the LaGuardia AirTrain project, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has awarded the design contract to develop a plan for the top-to-bottom renovation of the Flushing Bay Promenade.
The contract was awarded to the architecture and landscape architecture firm Marvel, a certified minority-owned firm.
Marvel will work with the Port Authority and the New York City Parks Department to create a plan that dramatically improves the green space and amenities of the Promenade based on input from the local community.
In 2019, the Port Authority committed to making significant improvements along the full 1.4-mile length of the Flushing Bay Promenade as part of the AirTrain LGA project. The agency to rebuild walkways and railings, invest in landscaping, create new public activity areas, install public art, upgrade lighting, and improve public access.
In addition to the selection of Marvel, the Port Authority also announced the formation of a Community Advisory Committee for the project. The Community Advisory Committee will include representatives from more than 20 local civic, environmental, recreational, and business community stakeholders to provide critical input in designing a park that will meet the needs of local residents and park users well into the future.
“Today’s announcement of a new design consultant builds on the Port Authority’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in our capital construction projects that fuel the regional economy,” said Kevin O’Toole, Chairman of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
“The agency will continue to work with local partners to see that the investment in public green space through the LaGuardia AirTrain project is made with significant community input.”
“AirTrain LGA is essential to extend rail mass transit access to the new LaGuardia Airport, and its benefits will extend to the parkland and communities it abuts,” said Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “The AirTrain will reduce congestion on roads and air pollution in the neighborhoods surrounding the airport. With Marvel’s expertise in attractive, accessible, community-focused design, and with the breadth of the newly-formed Community Advisory Committee, the LaGuardia AirTrain Project will also drive the top-to-bottom renovation of the Flushing Bay Promenade – a renovation that would not happen without the AirTrain project.”
“We’re delighted to work with the Port Authority, New York City Parks Department, and all stakeholders on the Flushing Bay Promenade project. It’s a great opportunity to build a welcoming place where New Yorkers can connect with the beauty of nature. Using our interdisciplinary approach—and our skills in architecture and landscape architecture—our team will create a transformative experience that brings great design to everyone, everywhere,” said Jonathan Marvel, founder and principal of Marvel.
“We look forward to collaborating with neighborhood residents to design a vibrant public space that fulfills the diverse social, cultural, and environmental needs of the community and the city at large. We hope that the Promenade will be Queens’ next great place. Through our timeless design, we will seek to bring positive impact to the local community for both the near- and long-term futures,” said Yadiel Rivera-Díaz, ASLA, PLA, partner-in-charge of the project for Marvel.
Marvel, whose other regional projects include St. Ann’s Warehouse, Mill Pond Park and the future Bronx Point, and the recently released Union Square-14th Street District Vision Plan, will assist the Port Authority in developing a concrete plan that improves the Promenade, including enhancing the full length of the Promenade, providing amenities to the local community, alleviating disruptions to park resources, and improving the Ditmars Boulevard entrances to the two pedestrian bridges located at 27th Avenue and 31st Drive.
