Governor Kathy Hochul announced on May 11 the groundbreaking of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Lincoln Center West Initiative, a project that will redevelop Damrosch Park and redesign the western side of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The initiative is supported by $10 million in state capital funding and aims to create a more accessible public space with new amenities, including an outdoor performance venue and expanded green areas. The redesigned campus is scheduled to open in summer 2028.
The redevelopment seeks to make Lincoln Center more welcoming for all New Yorkers by providing new opportunities for free programming and improved access to arts spaces. “Lincoln Center is one of the world’s premier cultural destinations, and this project will ensure it remains a place where every New Yorker feels welcome,” Hochul said. “By investing in this transformative redevelopment, we’re opening up world-class arts and performance spaces to the surrounding community, creating new opportunities for free programming, and ensuring that the next generation of New Yorkers can experience the power of the arts right in their own neighborhood.”
The initiative will transform approximately 2.4 acres at Damrosch Park by replacing the Guggenheim Bandshell with The Baron Theater, a permanent outdoor venue designed to host free performances for up to 2,000 people. Additional features include removing existing walls along Amsterdam Avenue to open entry points and gardens while increasing tree coverage by fifty percent.
Design work involves Hood Design Studio, WEISS/MANFREDI, and Moody Nolan with input from over 7,000 community members including residents from NYCHA’s Amsterdam Houses and Addition as well as local students. Streetscape improvements are planned along Amsterdam Avenue with wider sidewalks, benches, greenery enhancements, upgraded bus waiting areas, better pedestrian access between key transit points,
and upgrades at New York Public Library’s Performing Arts entrance.
Funding comes from a $335 million capital campaign involving foundations,
private donors,
the Board of Directors at Lincoln Center,
and public support from both city
and state sources.
The construction period is expected to support about 3,
640 worker-positions with daily workforce peaking at around 230 workers by late 2027.
As part of honoring local history,
the initiative includes “The Future We Create” mural depicting figures such as James P.
Johnson,
Thelonious Monk,
and Arturo Alfonso Schomburg alongside current residents—on display along Amsterdam Avenue at 62nd Street.
Ongoing commitments include Summer for the City festival which has drawn over 1.6 million visitors since its launch in 2022 through hundreds of free events across campus; also offered are NYCHA Neighbors Passes granting priority entry
to area residents.
