GIPEC's guidelines for the five professional teams competing to design the Island's open spaces - the March 7 Request for Proposals (RFP) - covers a meticulous 82 pages of text, maps and graphics. Highlights are: roughly 40 acres of parkland dubbed "Summer Park" running the length of the southern half of the Island and fronting on the harbor, a 2.18-mile public promenade and bikeway circling the Island, new definitions for historic sectors of the northern half, a "transition zone" between the two halves, and a new dock to replace Tango Pier on Buttermilk Channel. The RFP is on-line at http://www.govisland.com/About_GIPEC/ park_design_rfp.asp.
The five teams are to present their concepts starting in May, with a public exhibit running through much of June. GIPEC and a jury of "distinguished design professional and government officials" will then pick a team or teams to develop the final plan for the open spaces - the basic template that will allot spaces and create an atmosphere for other uses. The over-all objective set forth in the RFP is to create a destination, not just another playground but a unique attraction. "The destination and experiences offered by the Island's public open spaces must justify the effort of the journey." (Incidentally, it indicates that GIPEC is still considering an aerial gondola to get people there from Manhattan and Brooklyn.)
SUMMER PARK The RFP sets the tone for this space by pointing out that "it is crucial to the overall vision of the park to understand and make the most of its inherent Island nature." The guidelines contemplate that this waterfront park will begin at Division Road on the south side of Building 400, flanked on both sides by non-profit or commercial uses yet to be determined. The open space will stretch to the southern tip of the island, joining the waterfront along most of the western shoreline facing the harbor and the Statue of Liberty. The RFP mentions that the park needs to include space for organized sports, and possibly even for rock climbing and extreme sports. It says the design teams "should also consider the role of the arts" - music, performance, sculpture - and it strongly suggests positioning an amphitheater outside the park space, near the southernmost end of the Buttermilk Channel space, with lawn seating extending into the park.
PROMENADE Mincing no words, the RFP says that "The Great Promenade will be one of the world's most extraordinary, distinct and enchanting walks." The path that circles the Island would be a minimum of 52 feet wide "where practicable," primarily for walking, biking and skating "but also getting down to touch the water, bird watching, fishing, exploring and learning about harbor marine life." There would be "Promenade Plazas" and "Promenade Pockets" at intervals where people could gather or rest and there might be outdoor cafés. The RFP encourages "creative solutions" that modify the edge of the Island, such as breaching the seawall to create an inland body of water, tidal wetlands and habitats, and access for canoes and kayaks. Citing difficult physical conditions, it discourages facilities for private boat landings or a commercial marina, although it does not rule them out.
HISTORIC DISTRICT"The physical environment of the North Island will remain essentially as it exists today," the RFP says. It recognizes that the area under GIPEC's control surrounds the Governors Island National Monument, and that these two open spaces must blend. Views of the Lower Manhattan skyline from the Parade Ground should be preserved, it says, and all vestiges of the old golf course "should be eliminated and re-contoured." It could be adapted for recreation, or preserved for its historic value as a slope (glacis) leading up to Fort Jay. Some "nonconforming" buildings that don't fit the over-all historic surroundings can be demolished and replaced with suitable structures, it says.
TRANSITION ZONE This is the space spanning the island from shore to shore, where Building 400 and a half-dozen smaller buildings are located. The RFP calls it "an opportunity for a well-designed transition from the historic buildings on the north side of Division Road to new construction and development on the south side." It visualizes shaded seating areas, paths and assorted comings and goings around the buildings.
GETTING THERE The RFP anticipates that the existing Soissons ferry dock will continue to be "a primary point" for ferry traffic but additional "access points" will likely be necessary, connecting the Island to Brooklyn and other harbor locations as well as Manhattan. Tango Pier and part of Yankee Pier will be demolished, and Tango replaced by a new dock. As for an aerial gondola, "this conceptual idea is in the early stages of feasibility analyses." http://www.governorsislandalliance.org/pdf/OnlineOffshorevol2_2.pdf