Washington Square Renovation Slated

After more than 40 years of proposals, schemes, and false starts, the renovation of the 10-acre Washington Square Park is scheduled to begin late this summer.

The renovation, to unfold in two phases over a period of three years, calls for sweeping changes to both the landscape and the layout of the park at the bottom of Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village.

"The restoration is a bit of a patchwork of several eras of design," the city parks commissioner, Adrian Benepe, said of the $16 million project.

The first phase calls for relocating the fountain 20 feet to the east, to align it with the Washington Square Arch; elevating the sunken plaza to street level for handicap accessibility, and landscaping the northwest section of the park. The fountain, whose plumbing Mr. Benepe said is "limping along," will be repaired, and architectural details that have disappeared from its perimeter will be replaced. During the first phase, half of the park will be closed off.

Other changes include increasing the grassy areas and trimming down the expanses of pavement left over from the days when Fifth Avenue cut through the park.

The remainder of the renovation calls for relocating the park's two dog runs, building new play areas with more adventurous equipment, and installing a 3-foot-high fence around the perimeter, similar to one removed from the park in the 19th century.

The first phase of the project has already received full financing, partly through fund-raising efforts organized by the community in partnership with New York University, which also has committed $1 million to the project.

Although the plans have roused some objects by nearby residents - some have objected to the fountain's relocation, others to the installation of a gated fence - Community Board 2 passed, by a large majority, a resolution supporting the first phase of renovations, according to the chairman of Community Board 2's parks committee, Aubrey Lees.

Ms. Lees concedes that efforts to develop a cohesive renovation plan have sparked some rather heated battles among community groups, several of which are dedicated solely to the park's activities and upkeep, such as the Open Washington Square Park Coalition, the Washington Square Park Dog Run Association, and the Mounds People of Greenwich Village - guardians of the park's famed mounds, which are to be removed during the renovation.

Opponents have raised concerns that the fence would act as a safety hazard during mass events, or as a means of psychological imprisonment. Some students have voiced opposition to turning the park into a construction zone. And others have opposed elevating the sunken fountain because it is a signature feature of the park.

"Not everyone will be pleased," Mr. Benepe said. "But we have to do it now because we have the money." He said a similar effort to renovate the park was thwarted in the 1980s by community disagreements, and the money was pulled.

"We are not talking about putting in a nuclear waste dump," the parks commissioner said. "We are building a park."

Those who have concerns or suggestions are invited to take them directly to the project's landscape architect, George Vellonakis, who has been sitting in the park each Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., armed with large diagrams and renderings, and eager to answer questions.