Central Park Conservancy ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Table of Contents 2 Partnership 4 Letter from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Conservancy President 5 Letter from the Mayor and the Parks Commissioner 6 Forever Green 10 Craftsmanship 12 Historic Boat Landings Reconstructed at the Lake 16 Perimeter Reconstruction Enhances the East 64th Street Entrance 17 Northern Gateway Restored at the 110th Street Landscape 18 Putting the Adventure Back Into Adventure Playground 20 The Conservation of King Jagiello 22 Southwest Corner Update: Pedestrian-Friendly Upgrades at West 63rd Street 24 Infrastructure Improves the Experience at Rumsey Playfield Landscape 26 Woodlands Initiative Update 30 Stewardship 32 Volunteer Department 34 Operations by the Numbers 40 Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks 44 Community Programs 46 Friendship 54 Women’s Committee 55 The Greensward Circle 56 Financials 82 Supporters 118 Staff & Volunteers 128 Central Park Conservancy Mission, Guiding Principle, Core Values, and Credits Cover: Hernshead Landing Left: Raymond Davy 3 CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY Table of Contents 1 Partnership Central Park Conservancy The City of New York This was an exciting year for the Our parks are not only the green spaces where we go to exercise, experience nature, relax, and spend Conservancy. In spring, we launched our time with family and friends. For many New Yorkers, they are also a lifeline and places to connect with their most ambitious campaign to date, Forever community and the activities that improve quality of life. They are critical to our physical and mental Green: Ensuring the Future of Central well-being and to the livability and natural beauty of our City. In partnership with the City of New York, Park. It’s a ten-year effort to support the the Central Park Conservancy is ensuring that Central Park remains a beloved gathering place and one restoration and preservation of the Park, of the most iconic green spaces in the world. its woodlands, playgrounds, and historically This year, the City and the Conservancy are working to reimagine Central Park to support a rapidly and architecturally significant structures. changing City while preserving its historical significance. Through the City’s Parks Without Borders We also completed a comprehensive initiative, we are rethinking the way communities interact with their parks by making park entrances, restoration of the Hallett Nature Sanctuary edges, and adjacent spaces more inviting and accessible. The Conservancy’s Forever Green Campaign which incorporates extensive rustic work, is restoring and preserving the original vision of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux and ensuring including a meditation spot that provides Central Park remains an urban oasis for future generations. visitors with never before seen views of the Pond and south end of the Park. We The City’s partnership with the Conservancy continues to extend beyond the borders of Central Park. have also continued the work of upgrading In support of the City’s Community Parks Initiative, the Conservancy’s Institute for Urban Parks is sharing Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver and Douglas Blonsky infrastructure, adding additional drainage and its expertise through classroom and on-site trainings and a direct infusion of resources for lawn irrigation systems throughout the Park and renovations in parks across all five boroughs. restored three playgrounds. The completion of the Southwest corner renovation is near, and we created a new wildflower meadow at the Dene which should be in full bloom this spring. Finally, we began preparing The Central Park Conservancy is a testament to the importance of public-private partnerships in making for the restoration of the Belvedere Castle and the historic Children’s District including The Dairy, The our city even greener and greater. We thank the Conservancy for its leadership, and look forward to Kinderberg, and Chess and Checkers House. building upon this incredible partnership that is bolstering our beautiful park system and the green spaces that are the jewels of New York City. Our 36-year relationship with the City of New York continues to evolve through our Park-to-Park and Five Borough Programs. Both of these initiatives took our best practices to parks by providing hands on support to parks professionals. To date, we’ve trained and educated 3,300 current and aspiring park managers. The Institute for Urban Parks trained 45 gardeners in the City’s Community Parks Initiative. This program invests in neighborhood parks with the greatest need. Together, NYC Parks and the Conservancy are working to ensure the health of not only our Park, but all Parks throughout our City. Bill de Blasio Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP We could not do the work we do without the partnership of our supporters. It’s because of their continued Mayor Commissioner commitment to our mission that we can keep Central Park the most beautiful and inviting Park in the world. City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation Thomas L. Kempner, Jr. Douglas Blonsky Chairman, Central Park Conservancy President & CEO, Central Park Conservancy and Central Park Administrator 4 CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY Partnership 5 Forever Green FOREVER GREEN In 2016, the Central Park Conservancy launched Forever Green: Ensuring the Future of Central Park, a ten-year campaign to restore and preserve Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s historic vision for the ENSURING THE FUTURE OF CENTRAL PARK extraordinary landscape of the Park. This ambitious campaign will build upon the Conservancy’s decades-long investment in essential rebuilding and infrastructure by raising $300 million to enable vital long-term planning and restoration throughout the entire Park. Led by Anne S. Harrison, Thomas L. Kempner, Jr., and John Paulson, Forever Green encompasses over 50 projects that involve the woodlands, historically and architecturally significant structures, and playgrounds. In sum, Forever Green represents a cultural renaissance for Central Park. The Thompson Family Foundation has pledged a $25 million cornerstone gift to Forever Green to support the restoration of Belvedere Castle and the historic Children’s District, including the Dairy Visitor Center & Gift Shop, Kinderberg, and Chess & Checkers House. Planning is already underway for the restoration of additional landscapes and structures that represent the Park’s cultural legacy, including the Concert Ground, Conservatory Garden, and the Park’s various bridges and arches. Forever Green also represents a commitment to the Park’s long-term health through endowment support in the specific areas of tree care and horticulture. As a living, breathing ecosystem, Central Park contains hundreds of thousands of plants and trees that require constant care and management. Strengthening the endowment for horticulture and tree care is a promise to future generations of New Yorkers that the Park’s natural environment will always be well maintained. Also included in the promise to future New Yorkers is the expansion of the Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks. Through this educational arm, the Conservancy will continue to share knowledge and best practices with urban park managers in the five boroughs and across the globe, helping to enhance the quality of urban life everywhere. 6 CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY Partnership 7 The two pillars of Forever Green, the Paulson Family Foundation’s historic gift and the increased support of the City of New York, have set us on a strong course toward achieving the goals of the Conservancy’s ten year capital plan. We gratefully acknowledge John and Jenny Paulson and the City of New York as visionary partners in ensuring the future of Central Park. We also gratefully acknowledge the following lead supporters of Forever Green. Campaign Supporters (As of December 2016) $25,000,000 AND OVER $50,000 to $99,999 The Thompson Family Foundation, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Gary Barnett Mr. & Mrs. Raymond T. Dalio Mrs. Peter M. Sacerdote The Bodman Foundation Global Holdings, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Wilmers $5,000,000 TO $9,999,999 Elizabeth & Jay Chandler George A. Hirsch Mr. & Mrs. Anthony A. Yoseloff Anonymous (1) Ms. Judith-Ann Corrente & Mr. Willem Kooyker Christie’s Estate of Marjorie & Donald C. Phillips Mary McConnell Bailey Stephanie & Fred Shuman Michele & Marty Cohen $25,000 to $49,999 Anonymous (2) First Republic Bank Ruth Nerken $3,000,000 TO $4,999,999 The Barker Welfare Foundation Ms. Wendy Fisher Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, Inc. Bloomberg Philanthropies JPMorgan Chase & Co. Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd Blankfein William Talbott Hillman Foundation Nancy & Daniel Paduano Mr. & Mrs. Russell L. Carson Jeanette & Jonathan Rosen Kohn-Claar Family Foundation Karen Karlsrud & Raymond C. Mikulich The Paul and Klara Porzelt Foundation Thomas L. Kempner, Jr. & The Tarr-Coyne Family William C. Close Eleanora Kennedy Kimberly & Charlie Thurston Katheryn C. Patterson Jennifer L. Daniels Susan & David Lazarus Laurie Tisch James G. Dinan & Elizabeth R. Miller Mr. & Mrs. Norman Lear Dr. & Mrs. P. Roy Vagelos $1,000,000 TO $2,999,999 Andrea Henderson Fahnestock & Tersa Madero Mr. & Mrs. John E. Waldron George A. Hambrecht Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey A. McDermott Mr. & Mrs. Perry Weitz Anonymous (2) The Willard T. C. Johnson Foundation, Inc. Bruce & Robbi Toll Patti & Eric Fast Linda Mirels Mr. & Mrs. Barrie A. Wigmore Patti & Ray Chambers The JPB Foundation Sidney J. Weinberg, Jr. Foundation The Gottesman Fund Sarah Peter The Women’s Committee of Gray Foundation The Dr. Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Central Park Conservancy $10,000 to $24,999 The Jerome L. Greene Foundation Foundation The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust Noreen & Ken Buckfire Mr. & Mrs. William M. Kahane Elizabeth F. Stribling The Heckscher Foundation for Children A & J Saks Foundation, Inc. The Felicia Fund The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Steven M. Theede Lynn & Joel Frank Leonard Litwin Douglas Dockery Thomas $750,000 TO $999,999 Samantha & John Gellert Karen & David Mandelbaum William E. Weiss Foundation, Inc./ Gail Gregg David J. McCabe Daryl Brown Uber Julian H.