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As first reported by West Side Rag and confirmed in an email by the Central Park Conservancy, the iconic Great Lawn will officially close until, at least, April of 2024, as a result of major damages incurred during last month's Global Citizen Festival featuring the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lauryn Hill.
“The Central Park Conservancy is very disappointed that the iconic Great Lawn is now closed and unavailable for New Yorkers to enjoy this fall,” said a spokesperson for the organization in an official statement. “The use of heavy equipment and intense foot traffic in the saturated conditions from the September 23 concert damaged a large portion of the lawn and fully destroyed a third of it. Our team is now working to restore the lawn, hopefully in time to reopen this spring.”
Although the closure is certainly a hard hit given the overall lack of green spaces in the concrete jungle we call home, we can't say we're surprised about the happening. In fact, thousands of folks attended the free music festival back in September despite heavy rain. Add to that the jumping and stomping that define any similar experiences and the machines used to put up and maintain the stage and you've got yourself a recipe for disaster.
Officials explained that the “fully destroyed” section of the park needs a total re-seeding, which Global Citizen will pay for. In fact, the organization has always covered the cost of damages to the park since it first launched in 2012.
A spokesperson for the festival went on the record about the event with West Side Rag. “This year's rainfall meant closer alignment with city agencies and stakeholders than ever before,” said the spokesperson. “In the months leading up to the festival on September 23, and daily in the week before the event, we worked closely with the NYC Mayor’s Office, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, Office of Emergency Management, NYPD, FDNY and the Central Park Conservancy. 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.”
Although the Great Lawn does usually close to the public from late November through April, having to shutter now has clearly affected New Yorkers who were hoping to be able to spend some time there during early fall—especially given the 80 degree temperatures we're seeing this week.