Columbia Daily Spectator - May 23, 2001
Morningside Park Will Feature Outdoor Cafe
By Matthew Harrison -
Summer Associate Editor
Morningside Park visitors might associate the park grounds with children frolicking, students playing Frisbee, or residents strolling along rocky lanes. By next spring, they will count an additional feature among the park's amenities: an outdoor café. The Parks Department and Friends of Morningside Park hope that the new café, consisting of a kiosk and 15-20 tables, will entice more community members into the underused park.
A New Destination Point
The Parks Department, in cooperation with Friends of Morningside Park,
plans on adding a kiosk and tables at the south end of the park's plaza
near Columbia at 112th Street and Morningside Drive, overlooking the
park's athletic field and in view of St. John the Divine. A private
concessionaire will operate the café May through October,
weather permitting.
Andre Blacknall, Community Coordinator for Friends of Morningside Park, was enthusiastic about the project. Blacknall expressed his hope that the café will serve as a focal point for surrounding communities by offering a unique gathering place. ''We wanted the café to serve as a meeting place for all the different communities served by the park,'' Blacknall explained.
Blacknall emphasized that the space must give something unique to the neighborhood, in terms of cuisine, atmosphere and appearance. ''The menu must be affordable and diverse, offering something the surrounding community does not already have, within an architectural plan that suits the park,'' Blacknall said.
Parks Department official Richard Sedlisky, the café's project manager, echoed Blacknall's objectives. Sedlisky authored a Request for Proposals for café designs which was made public on April 25. ''The concession should make a significant improvement to the ambience of the park and the surrounding community while providing a convenient service to the public,'' Sedlisky noted in the proposal.
Deadline Today
The deadline for proposals is 3 p.m. today. As of Monday,
the Parks Department had still not received any proposals.
However, Sedlisky noted that final proposals for such projects
are often not received until the due date. Additionally, Sedlisky
recalled that 10 prospective concessionaires toured the site
on May 11th.
Nonetheless, Blacknall noted that the deadline and construction might be pushed back. Blacknall stated, ''Construction was originally to start in the beginning of the summer. Now it looks like construction will start towards later this summer.'' If the plan holds, the kiosk should be ready for customers next spring.
Until the café is built, Sedlisky said, ''Most likely, Parks [Department] will allow a temporary grill'' to get the area off the ground and to start attracting customers.''.
Once proposals are received, a selection committee within the Parks Department will rate the various proposals and present its opinions to Parks Commissioner Henry J. Stern, who will make the final decision.
Both Blacknall and Sedlisky were confident that the project would move forward with little controversy. ''So far, we've had no trouble,'' Blacknall said, citing the approval of Community Board Nine.
Revitalization
The idea originated when Friends of Morningside Park
approached the Parks Department about adding a cafe. Sedlisky
explained that he immediately ''thought this was something that
could fly, since there is so little food service in the area''
and promptly wrote the Request for Proposals for café
designs.
Blacknall recalled that the goals of the café coincide with the conclusions of a report that the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) prepared for Friends of Morningside Park. PPS, a non-profit company that helps communities enhance public spaces, worked with the Friends of Morningside Park to develop a plan to get more people into the park. ''We were underutilized,'' Blacknall said.
The café is part of the strategy that Friends of Morningside Park developed with PPS to increase the usage of Morningside Park. Blacknall cited programming initiatives, such as a four-part jazz luncheon series in the park, as other aspects of this strategy. The café, located in a spot that Blacknall hopes will lure residents of Morningside Heights, Manhattan Valley, and Harlem, is a key part of Morningside Park's enhancement.
The Friends of Morningside Park, originally founded by a Columbia student, is a non-profit community organization that advocates for Morningside Park and promotes community events such as this spring's Earth Day Celebration.
