Restoration & Repairs

In partnership with NYC Parks, the Conservancy tackled a complex reconstruction of the 106th Street stairs surrounding the Franz Sigel Monument. This staircase now has a new foundation in place for the next century – and beyond.

In August 2023, a vehicular accident uncovered serious structural issues with the staircase surrounding the Franz Sigel Monument, originally built in 1902. Recognizing the importance of this major access point to the Park, the Conservancy approached a private donor who agreed to fund the extensive repairs right away, bypassing bureaucratic delays.

The Conservancy installed state-of-the-art fitness equipment at 151^st Street. Designed and engineered in Switzerland, the new machines from company Outletics offer a variety of activities designed to strengthen cardio, mobility, flexibility and balance.  Riverside Park is the company’s first installation site in the United States.

The Conservancy installed high-quality sport courts where there was previously only broken concrete, adding to Hudson Beach, a popular, high-traffic, recreation area in Riverside Park near Ellington in the Park at 105th Street.

The Multi-Sport Courts were made possible in part by Thompson Family Foundation, NY State Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell, John D. Kimelman, Ellyn Gelson, and Dorlene Kaplan and Lawrence Caplan.

The Conservancy installed new fencing at the Riverside Valley Community Garden (“Jenny’s Garden”), replacing the previously damaged fenceline.

In spring 2023, the Conservancy improved the step ramp and handrail at 112th Street to upgrade access and safety for parkgoers.

In partnership with NYC Parks, the Conservancy installed five pickleball courts at 110th Street, reclaiming an unused space for active use and bringing this popular sport to Riverside Park for the first time. As part of this project, the Conservancy also installed a new steel picket fence along the West Side Highway.

In summer 2023, the Conservancy opened a new, state-of-the-art compound, facilitating the Park’s on-site composting operations and restoring the Park’s surrounding landscape. To learn more, please click here.

In fall 2023, the Conservancy improved this area’s storm resilience. Work included clearing and reconstructing the existing drainage infrastructure and the installation of a planted drainage swale in order to address the extreme weather related run off from the adjacent landscape which results in total flooding conditions in Hippo Playground.

In fall 2023, the Conservancy restored a full acre of shoreline in Fort Washington Park, adding new plant material and revealing spectacular river views.

In fall 2023, the Conservancy replaced the step ramp and handrail at 116th Street to upgrade access and safety for parkgoers.

The popular “tot lot” on 148th Street & Riverside Drive was was significantly repaired in fall 2022. Repairs included full removal of the eroded surface material, replacing it with new, resilient safety tiling. This improvement was made possible by a generous private donor.

In 2022, the Conservancy repaired the staircase at 83rd Street. This project involved installing a new concrete foundation and bluestone pavers at the stair landings to match the original materials, as well as repointing the adjacent granite walls and addressing drainage issues. This improvement was made possible by a generous private donor.

In 2021 the Conservancy repaired and reopened the 107th Street staircase next to the 107th Street Peter Jay Sharp Volunteer House. This is a key access point, and the Conservancy laid a new concrete foundation, installed new bluestone, and reopened the stairs to the public.

In the fall of 2021, in honor of the 20th Anniversary of September 11, 2001, the Conservancy provided the equipment and supplies needed for NYC Parks’ monuments crew to clean, repoint, and repair the monument. Work was finished within a month.

The Conservancy fixed the bluestone pavers surrounding the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial in 2021. This plaza also serves as the entrance of a high-traffic pathway in the Park.

In 2021, the Conservancy repaved of the pathway west of River Run Playground.

In 2020, the Conservancy fully repaved the pathway at 138th Street. This path is an important access point used heavily by bikers and pedestrians, and the repair was completed in just a few weeks.

The Conservancy fixed three step ramps simultaneously, all of which serve as important access points to navigate the Park. The work was done in only a few weeks.

The Field House was completed in 1937 and renovated in 1964, but was gutted by fire in the 1970s and sat empty for more than forty years. Working with several private donors, the Conservancy and the NYC Parks Department restored the structure, renovated and opened public restroom facilities, and installed brand new basketball courts outside. In 2020, the work was done, but has not yet opened for public use.

When it opens for public use, the space will provide the Park with a large indoor facility that will serve as a central location for public recreational and athletic activities. The Conservancy plans to offer a variety of cultural, educational, and health and fitness programming in the Field House throughout the year. The building will also enhance the use of existing athletic fields in the surrounding area.

The Conservancy fixed the path along Riverside Drive at 95th Street and replaced the damaged pavement with new bluestone pavers.

The Conservancy did an overhaul of the pathway and tunnel at 83rd Street. In a matter of only six weeks, we repaved paths, installed new fencing, repainted the tunnel passage, and planted new trees. You can see coverage of the project on NY1 here.

In 2018, a step ramp at 97th Street was badly damaged in a flash flood caused by heavy rainfall. The Conservancy replaced the bluestone pavers and put them on a new concrete foundation. We fixed access point was fixed within three weeks.