Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park (also known as Wagner Park) is a green space in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The park is sited on landfill from the World Trade Center site[1] and opened in 1996.[2][3] It was designed by a partnership of Rodolfo Machado, Jorge Silvetti, Hannah/Olin, and Lynden B. Miller.[2] The park is named after Robert F. Wagner Jr., who helped negotiate the 1979 master plan for Battery Park City[4] before his sudden death in 1993.[2] The park is just north of City Pier A at the southern end of Manhattan.[5]
| Wagner Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Battery Park City, Manhattan, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°42′19″N 74°1′7″W / 40.70528°N 74.01861°W |
| Created | 1996 |
| Etymology | Robert F. Wagner Jr. |
| Status | Open |
As of 2022, the park was being planned for demolition, although locals are fighting to save the park.[6][7][8][9] The demolition is slated as part of a flood resiliency project, and the plans call for razing and rebuilding the park.[10][11] In response to the public pressure, the committee has enlarged the area dedicated to lawns in the plans, although the rebuilt lawns would still contain 10 percent less green space.[12][13] As of October 2022[update], the plans called for removing 48 trees and raising the park's elevation from 11 to 20 feet (3.4 to 6.1 m), where 139 trees would be planted.[11]