Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

April 16, 2021

Dan Keefe | Brian Nearing
(518) 486-1868 | news@parks.ny.gov

Marsha P. Johnson Design Review Workshops Begin Tuesday, April 20

Virtual and in-person sessions scheduled

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) will present initial design concepts for Marsha P. Johnson State Park at several public workshops beginning Tuesday, April 20. The designs were shaped by a series of public listening sessions and visitor surveys to develop a shared vision for the commemorative design and interpretive elements of the park. A summary of the listening sessions is available here.

Park stakeholders will have an opportunity to review and comment on the design concepts at the following workshops.

Preliminary design review:

Tuesday, April 20 – 10 am to 1 pm and 3 to 7 pm. In person meeting at the park

Saturday, April 24 – 10 am to 1 pm and 3 to 7 pm. In person meeting at the park.

Monday, April 26 – 6 to 9 pm. Virtual meeting.

• https://zoom.us/j/98453839189?pwd=cDM5VWVjTHNLWTI4RnZZRm92N2hYUT09
• Meeting ID: 984 5383 9189
• Passcode: 988764

Final public review:

Saturday, May 1 – 10 am to 1 pm and 3 to 7 pm. In person meeting at the park.

Monday, May 3 – 6 to 9 pm. Virtual meeting.

• https://zoom.us/j/97151509236?pwd=bTQza3UvRkllNGxQQXFUalRCL0dpUT09
• Meeting ID: 971 5150 9236
• Passcode: 367509

The in-person meetings are drop-in sessions as you wish. These outdoor meetings will adhere to the proper guidance for social distancing and face coverings. In-person workshops will be held at the park, weather permitting, at 90 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211. The virtual workshops will be broken into hourly segments. Participants do not need to attend the entire workshop, but should join at the top of the hour. Each hour segment will include a brief introduction, followed by small-group break-out sessions, and a wrap-up.

Marsha P. Johnson, formerly East River State Park, was dedicated to her namesake in August 2020. Known as an outspoken advocate for equality, Marsha was a prominent leader of the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 and later established a shelter in New York City to support LGBTQ young people rejected by their families. She was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front, an activist with ACT UP, and a co-founder of S.T.A.R., along with Sylvia Rivera. She was born August 24, 1945 and died in 1992 at age 46.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, and boat launches, which are visited by 78 million people annually. For more information on these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit parks.ny.gov connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.

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