The Leadership Behind the Rebirth of Governors Island in New York

Matt A.V. Chaban reports on the forthcoming culmination of an ongoing project to remake Governors Island in New York, and the woman behind it all.

First, a description of the big day for Governors Island, coming this summer:

At 10 a.m. on July 19, the final section of Governors Island, known as the Hills, will open to the public. Some 10 acres of ridges, paths, slides and lawns will rise seven stories over the harbor, providing panoramic views of New York City.

The Hills is the final piece in the ongoing effort to remake Governors Island:

The island, and its 139 acres of parkland, will open on Memorial Day this year, as it has for the past decade. But the ambition is for it to become a year-round destination with “millions of new square feet for commerce, culture, and research,” as Mayor Bill de Blasio put it during his State of the City speech in February.

With the park complete, so too will be the work of Leslie Koch, the president and chief executive of the Trust for Governors Island, who recently announced her retirement. According to Chaban, "everywhere you look on Governors Island, you see Ms. Koch’s influence." The article includes a detailed account of Koch's achievements in addition to the concepts that drove the revitalization of Governors Island during her career.