Once a mountain of trash, now a budding Eden. This is the story of Freshkills Park. This park is a testament to transformation. It shows us that even the most blighted landscapes can be reborn.
Freshkills Park wasn’t always a green space. Imagine, if you will, the not-so-distant past. The area was tidal creeks and coastal marshland. In 1948, Robert Moses planned a landfill for only three years. Little did he know, “Fresh Kills” would become the world’s largest landfill. The name comes from the Middle Dutch word “kille” meaning riverbed or water channel.
By 1961, the landfill grew to 1,200 acres. Staten Island became New York City’s dumping ground. In 1991, Fresh Kills accepted all of the city’s garbage. It spanned 2,200 acres and received 29,000 tons of trash each day.
The people of Staten Island had enough. Borough President Guy Molinari filed a lawsuit in 1996. He alleged Fresh Kills violated the Clean Air Act. The state legislature passed a law. The landfill had to close by the end of 2001.
However, Fresh Kills temporarily reopened after the September 11 attacks. Rescue workers sifted through 1.2 million tons of World Trade Center debris. The screened materials were placed in a 48-acre area. This area was covered with clean soil to protect the site.
Decades after Moses’ initial proposal, the idea of a park gained traction. In 2003, James Corner Field Operations won an international design competition. Their master plan was adopted in 2006. Work officially began in 2008.
The transformation of Freshkills Park is a phased project. It is divided into five sections each with a distinct character. There will be the Confluence, South Park, East Park, West Park, and North Park.
The first section, Schmul Park, opened in 2012. It features basketball and handball courts plus a colorful walkway. Owl Hollow Soccer Fields opened the following year. A three-mile bike and pedestrian path opened two years later.
At 2,200 acres, Freshkills Park is almost three times the size of Central Park. It is the largest park developed in New York City in over 100 years. The interior of the park is accessible during scheduled programs only.
The Alliance promotes ecological restoration and sponsors recreational programs. These programs include kayaking, cycling, citizen science, and art projects.
Freshkills Park is home to diverse wildlife. A 2015 BioBlitz recorded 320 species of plants and animals. Over 200 species of birds have been spotted. Freshkills Park is now home to the largest nesting colony of grasshopper sparrows in New York State.
The transformation of Freshkills Park continues. It is a symbol of renewal and a testament to the power of nature and human vision. When fully developed by 2035-2037, Freshkills Park will be the second-largest park in New York City. It will offer grasslands, waterways and engineered structures for all sorts of activities.