Concrete Plant Park is a public park in the
Longwood section of
the Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. It consists of
located on the west bank of the
Bronx River between
Westchester Avenue and
Bruckner Boulevard. The centerpiece and namesake of the park is a group of restored structures from the
concrete plant which once occupied its site. It is maintained by the
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
History and description
The Transit-Mix Corporation operated a
concrete plant on the site from the late 1940s through its abandonment in 1987, according to NYC Parks, although the city's land records indicate the property was foreclosed for non-payment of taxes in 1981. In 2000, the property was transferred to NYC Parks, which formed a partnership with community organizations, including the
Bronx River Alliance, to design and construct the park. The city stabilized the old structures from the abandoned plant, cleared tons of debris, and constructed other park facilities. The park was opened to the public in 2009.
Besides the restored concrete plant structures, which have fences around them, the park includes a walk along the Bronx River, grassy lawns, seating (some of it under a small metal canopy), a "reading circle" of concrete chair-like structures, and a paved bicycle and pedestrian trail that is part of the developing
Bronx River Greenway. The park's north entrance is on
Westchester Avenue just east of Whitlock Avenue, and its south entrance is on
Bruckner Boulevard west of Bronx River Avenue.
[
The ruined Westchester Avenue station, which was built in 1908 and designed by architect Cass Gilbert, stands near the park's northern entrance, where it is partly suspended over Amtrak's busy ]Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston in the north to Washington, D.C., in the south, with major stops in Providence, Rhod ...
. One proposal to save the station from demolition involves moving part of it to a pier in the park.
Gallery
Image:Concrete Plant Park 01.JPG, Reading circle, with Westchester Avenue station ruin and a New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...
train on 6 train service in the background
Image:Concrete Plant Park 02.JPG, Looking south towards the concrete plant structures. Bronx River is on the left and Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston in the north to Washington, D.C., in the south, with major stops in Providence, Rhod ...
on the right
Image:Amtrak_167_Bx_Riv_jeh.JPG, A view of the park from across the tracks
References
{{Protected areas of New York City
Parks in the Bronx
Urban public parks
Longwood, Bronx