A chunk of the Great Lawn in Central Park was so badly damaged during last month’s rain-soaked Global Citizen Festival that the beloved greenspace had to close for the season earlier than anticipated so months-long repairs could get underway.
The immediate closure prompted New York City Councilwoman Gale Brewer to call for the annual festival’s relocation after heavy rain, foot traffic and machinery used for staging “destroyed one-third” of the park’s 55-acre Great Lawn.
The Central Park Conservancy determined that the damage required the “immediate closure of the lawn” so the grass could be re-seeded, she wrote in a letter to Mayor Eric Adams on Monday.
“As a result, 12 acres of public greenspace will be unavailable to New Yorkers until April 2024 or later, all to accommodate a one-day event,” Brewer wrote.
“I have never been a fan of the Global Citizen Festival because so little, if any, of the grants are allocated to non-profits in New York City.”
The councilwoman noted the festival rakes in $2 million for the city’s general fund and suggested the event be held at an arena or stadium instead of Central Park.
This year’s Global Citizen Festival drew about 30,000 attendees, roughly half of its previous crowd, according to the New York Times.
The Central Park Conservancy, which manages greenspace, said it was “very disappointed that the iconic Great Lawn is now closed and unavailable for New Yorkers to enjoy this fall” in a statement.
The organization is working to restore the lawn “hopefully in time to reopen this spring,” a spokesperson said.
The entire lawn is off limits, the spokesperson told The Post.
The Great Lawn closes to the public yearly for maintenance from November to April, city Parks and Recreation officials pointed out.
The Global Citizen Festival has taken place in Central Park for the past 11 years and is a free, single-day event. The organization has contributed more than $40 billion in its fight to end extreme poverty.
Organizers work with various city agencies every year and they are “incredibly grateful to call New York City and Central Park home of our movement,” a spokesperson said, adding that they worked closer with those agencies and the Conservancy due to the rain.
“Ultimately, the City of New York, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Central Park Conservancy determined that this year’s festival should go ahead,” the Global Citizen spokesperson said and confirmed it would cover any costs tied to the damage.
Organizers followed permitting protocols and are responsible for covering the expected repair costs, the Parks and Recreation Department said.
“While we share New Yorkers’ frustration, we have had a positive relationship with the Global Citizen Festival producers and are confident any damages will be remedied expeditiously,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
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