The Conservancy for the Park Avenue Armory is committed to providing the community with up-to-date information about the planned restoration of the Armory. In order to continue our ongoing dialogue with our neighbors, we have compiled this list of frequently asked questions. As we move closer to a start date, we will provide more information about this exciting new project.
About the Conservancy for the Park Avenue Armory
What is the Conservancy for the Park Avenue Armory?
The Conservancy is a non-profit institution dedicated to restoring, renovating, and providing full public access to the Park Avenue Armory. The Conservancy’s mission is to repair and revitalize the building, continue its ongoing maintenance and weave it back into the fabric of New York City by giving it new life as a dynamic center for the arts. The Conservancy Board includes leaders of important civic groups, local residents, preservationists, philanthropists, veterans and military experts. Six Board members live in the immediate neighborhood, and over three-quarters live on the Upper East Side.
What are the Conservancy’s plans for the Armory?
A prime concern of the Conservancy is the restoration of the Armory and the preservation of its unique historic elements. The renovation will include beautification of the building exterior; the installation of new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; new roofing and air conditioning; extensive patron amenities such as new restrooms and coat checks; and proper catering facilities. The renovation will also create a flexible support system for the Armory’s presentation of exhibitions, performances and art and antique shows.
Once the renovation phase is complete, the Armory will be opened for all New York City residents and visitors to enjoy with a diverse offering of art exhibitions, performing arts events, lectures, historical exhibits, tours of the restored historic rooms and educational programs including a preservation “lab” for NYC high school students. The tradition of art and antiques at the Armory will continue.
How will the Conservancy preserve the historic elements of the building?
Preservation of the Armory’s historic elements is of foremost importance to the Conservancy, and the restoration plans will strictly follow the New York State Secretary of the Interior’s Guidelines for Historic Rehabilitation. We have assembled a consulting team of noted conservationists and restoration experts who have been involved in projects such as the exterior restoration of Grand Central Terminal, the New Amsterdam Theater, Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall.
How will the Conservancy honor the military history of the building?
Galleries in the Administration Building will feature rotating exhibitions on the military and social history of the Armory. The Conservancy is also working with the State on the cataloging and conservation of military artifacts that will be displayed in the building.
Major General Edward G. Klein (Ret), a Conservancy Board member and the Commanding Officer of the New York Army National Guard during the 9/11 crisis, will be deeply involved in these exhibitions, as will members of the Veterans of the Seventh Regiment. Gen. Klein will also oversee the efforts to guarantee the preparedness of the building for use in a national emergency.
What is the projected attendance at the Armory per year?
Currently, the Armory attracts 250,000 people annually to its events. After the renovation is completed in 2011, the Conservancy anticipates an attendance of approximately 327,000 per year, a 30% increase, spread over the entire year. At present, the Armory is largely unused during the summer months because of a lack of air conditioning.
How many days of the year will the Armory be open to the public?
The Armory’s administration building and its historic reception halls will be open to the public throughout the year for tours and educational programming centered on architecture and design history.
The Drill Hall will be open to the public for exhibitions, performances, art fairs and other programs 187 days a year.
For the remaining 178 days of the year (almost 50%), the Drill Hall will be closed for preparations and set-up.
The Administrative Building and its historic reception halls will remain open to the public through the year for tours and educational programming.
Does the Armory offer assisted access?
The Park Avenue entrance of the Armory with its interior and exterior stairs pose obstacles to access that the Conservancy intends to resolve in the upcoming renovation. In the meantime, we are committed to improving access for visitors who have trouble climbing stairs. The grade-level entry (no steps) is provided on Lexington Avenue at the large loading door located between 66th and 67th Streets. On the north side of that doorway, we have installed an easily reachable intercom that rings the 24/7 Conservancy security staff who will respond immediately and assist all visitors to their event. Arrangements can also be made prior to your arrival by calling the main security desk at (212) 616-3950, extension 1.
The Armory welcomes suggestions about how we can improve our accessibility program in the short-term and the long-term. Please email kreoch@armoryonpark.org with any comments or questions.
Armory Events And Programs
What kind of programming will take place in the new Armory?
After the Armory has been fully renovated and restored, it will support a diverse offering of cultural events, including visual arts and historical exhibits, performing arts events, tours of the historic rooms and educational and training programs for students. The tradition of art and antique fairs will also continue at the Armory.
How will the performing arts be presented at the Armory?
Performances at the Armory will take advantage of the existing Drill Hall space, creating temporary accommodations for each specific event. Attendance will vary from 200 – 1,500 seats. The Conservancy has no plans to build a permanent theater or performing arts center in the Armory.
Improving The Armory Neighborhood
How will the Armory’s renovation improve the surrounding neighborhood?
The Armory’s renovation will restore and revitalize the building, rescuing it from its current state of disrepair and enhancing the vitality of the surrounding neighborhood. In addition to preserving the beauty of one of New York’s most significant landmarks, the Armory restoration will weave the building back into the fabric of the community as a vibrant center for the arts and culture.
The renovation will begin with small interim projects, including the restoration of the Park Avenue entranceway and restroom improvements. We will also begin an exterior maintenance program, improving the surrounding neighborhood with measures that include pest control, exterior maintenance and newly landscaped planting beds.
The Conservancy has worked with community members, DOT and the Community Board to develop a traffic plan to address traffic congestion on Park and Lexington Avenues.
What is the Conservancy’s plan to improve street traffic?
The Conservancy has developed a plan to address traffic concerns by:
Creating a pick-up drop-off lane and eliminating parking in front of the Armory on Park Avenue
Reducing traffic congestion and, in turn, honking
Effectively managing the load-in and load-out on Lexington Avenue
Relocating police personal vehicle parking from the south side of 67th Street
Reducing military parking on 66th Street
Instituting monitors to manage traffic flow
Removing Transit Authority trailers for 67th Street (accomplished)
The traffic management plan has been reviewed and is fully supported by New York City Department of Transportation; the Park and Lexington Avenue provisions were approved on October 18. The next step is the implementation of the changed parking regulations.
Are the air conditioning trucks being removed from Lexington Avenue? How is the air conditioning going to be handled in the new plans?
The Conservancy has developed plans to remove the air conditioning trucks that currently sit on Lexington Avenue four to five months of the year. A permanent air conditioning system will be installed within the building, hidden from view. The units will also be acoustically treated so that the system will not be audible from any adjacent apartments.
What is going to happen to the air rights over the building?
The city owns the air rights. The Conservancy has no plans to acquire the air rights, either to build a tower over the Armory or to have them transferred to another site. The Conservancy is working with the City to prohibit the use of the air rights during the term of the Conservancy’s 99-year lease.
