Today the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation released a Request for Expressions of Interest in the operation of a 5,000-seat performing arts facility to be located at site of the historic bandshell in Asser Levy Park, which will be upgraded as part of the major Asser Levy Park rehabilitation project.
Said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, "This project means Asser Levy Seaside Park will be not only a welcoming eastern gateway to a revitalized Coney Island, but a place where families in the community and visitors can enjoy relaxation, recreation and the vibrant cultural programming that has been the Park's hallmark since at least the turn of the twentieth century."
BP Markowitz adds, "The possibilities are endless-music has always thrived in this location, and I imagine this new venue being a wonderful home for a summer residency for a philharmonic or a ballet company. I am hopeful that, as in the case of Brooklyn's Loew's Kings theater earlier this year, this Request for Expressions of Interest yields creative responses leading to a partnership that will provide for innovative and successful programming, maintenance and operation of the facility in the years to come."
"New York City's parks are our shared backyard and bandshells, amphitheaters and other spaces have hosted concerts and events for as long as there have been parks," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner
Adrian Benepe. "We look forward to continuing a long tradition of live music at Asser Levy Park through a complete revitalization of the park including a new playground, restored pathways and the construction of a state-of-the-art amphitheater, which will serve Brooklyn for many generations to come. Working with the Borough President's office and the community, we are eager to begin the process, through this RFEI, of engaging potential music promoters on the programming and maintenance of this venue at the gateway of Coney Island."
"Asser Levy Park dates back to the 1880's and has always been utilized as part of the amusement district for events and concerts dating back to the days of
John Philip Sousa!," said Dick Zigun, executive director, Coney Island USA.
"The free concerts at Asser Levy Park have been a glorious and important Brooklyn tradition for years, and we hope that with the community's support, they will continue for many years to come," said David Rivel, executive director of City Parks Foundation, an organization that produces free cultural events in parks throughout the five boroughs.
According to the City Parks Foundation:
Urban parks have always been an important setting for arts and cultural programs. During the late 19th century, parks commonly hosted musical events. By the beginning of the 20th century, dance, theatre, and even the new medium of film began to be represented in parks programming.
Today, there is a tremendous flowering of artistic and cultural activity in urban parks, from large-scale performing arts festivals to long-term residencies with arts organizations. Parks and the arts have become mutually beneficial: the arts can play an essential role in revitalizing a park, and parks in turn can help solve problems faced by artists and arts organizations.
Since parks are the democratic spaces of a city, where communities can come together to express their identities, the marriage of parks and the arts makes perfect sense. Parks can be a vital place for the cultural expression of a community and a city.
(CITY PARKS FOUNDATION (New York, NY) - Developing Arts and Cultural Programs to Revitalize Parks and Communities - http://www.planning.org/cityparks/briefingpapers/arts.htm)
Aside from the new state-of-the-art bandshell, overall planned park renovations mean Asser Levy Park will benefit from major infrastructural upgrades to stop frequent flooding. New paths and walkways flanked by beautiful foliage will wind through the grounds and showcase the park's classic collection of old-growth trees. Families in the community will also be able to enjoy an expanded state-of-the-art, accessible playground as well as a new park house and community facilities.
