Image: West 8 Art

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on April 12 an agreement that gives the city long-term planning and development control of Governor’s Island, a 172-acre chunk of largely undeveloped real estate in New York Harbor. The announcement of the agreement preceded the mayor’s unveiling of a sweeping redevelopment plan for the onetime military base that includes the creation of an 87-acre public park, a waterfront promenade and public space. The city also has plans to build a high school on the island, while setting aside 30 acres for private development, which could include a satellite campus for New York University. The park and public-space master plan was designed by New York-based landscape architecture firm West 8.