1st section of massive NYC landfill-to-park transformation project opens to the public

• New York City has opened the first section of Freshkills Park as part of a yearslong project aimed at transforming a massing landfill site into a recreational area.
• The 21-acre North Park section, which went under construction in 2008, is part of a 2,200-acre plot on Staten Island that used to be the world’s largest landfill site.
• Freshkills Park, which will include an overlook deck and pedestrian paths, is expected to be completed in 13 years. 

Efforts to turn what was once the largest landfill site in the world into a public park hit a milestone Sunday with the opening of the first section open to the public, New York City officials said.

The 21-acre North Park section of what has become Freshkills Park includes pedestrian and cycling paths, an overlook deck, bird viewing tower and composting restroom that uses no water.

The 2,200-acre Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island was once the largest landfill site in the world. For five decades after its opening in 1948, it was the principal landfill for New York City’s garbage. The last barge of regular trash was delivered in 2001 when then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani closed the site, partly in response to Staten Island residents who had complained about being the city’s dumping ground.

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A park in Staten Island occupies what used to be the largest landfill in the world where New York City dumped all of its trash.   (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

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"This transformational project will serve as a model for land reuse projects around the world," New York City Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said, "and a shining example of how restoring habitats can benefit wildlife in urban areas."

Construction on Freshkills Park began in 2008 and is expected to be completed in 2036.

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