The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation recently unveiled the Hart Island Concept Plan, a 20-year-plus vision for improvements to New York City’s public cemetery located in the Long Island Sound.
Since 1869, Hart Island has served as a public cemetery, providing the final resting place for over one million people. As one of the largest public cemeteries in the U.S., it offers vital burial services to those in greatest need and holds a significant place in New York City’s history.
Led by Starr Whitehouse for NYC Parks, the Hart Island Concept Plan proposes several capital projects driven by operational needs and public feedback, while acknowledging the continued importance of burial activities on Hart Island. Key proposals include a small welcome center with restrooms and seating, repurposing the island’s historic chapel as a memorial space, enhancing the maintenance and operations area, shoreline stabilization efforts, and forest restoration plans for natural areas.
The plan outlines a framework of potential capital projects that are within the purview of NYC Parks to develop and implement. To gather input on the concept plan from community members, NYC Parks hosted two virtual forums during 2024 that drew more than 200 attendees and also conducted a digital survey.
“For more than 150 years, Hart Island has been an essential part of our city. This concept plan presents a suite of proposals that can improve the physical conditions and resiliency of the island, and provide a better experience for visitors as well as agency staff that manage its daily operations — all through the lens of respectfully honoring those who are laid to rest on this peaceful island,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa. “We look forward to working with various stakeholders, fellow city agencies, and partners in government to advance the long-term planning priorities for the island.”
In 2021, management of Hart Island was transferred from the NYC Department of Correction to NYC Parks and the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA), part of the Department of Social Services. The city is committed to ensuring that the public has access to the island and provides services to help individuals find and visit their loved ones buried there. Since the island was transferred, NYC Parks has led improvements to the gravesite visitation process and launched free Urban Park Ranger interpretive tours for the general public, leading to a substantial increase in visitors to the island.
NYC Parks recognizes the need to provide visitors with basic amenities such as restrooms, seating, and shelter from heat and rain. Enhancements are also needed to ensure the island’s ecological communities and shorelines are resilient to erosion from coastal storms due to sea level rise and global warming. This concept plan will help the city make strategic investments and seek outside funding to improve the island.
More information about the Hart Island concept can be found in this PDF.