Events and Project Updates

UPDATE: Next Steps on Design
DOT has engaged with Community Boards, elected officials, and community stakeholders on the conceptual design for the Gateways to Chinatown project. We are now considering the feedback and determining next steps. We plan to return to the Community Boards Fall 2019 with updates.

EVENT: CB1 and CB3 Project Update Presentations
Community Board 3 ‘Transportation, Public Safety and Environment Committee’
Date: Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: University Settlement at Houston Street Center, 273 Bowery

Community Board 1 ‘Waterfront, Parks, and Cultural Committee’
Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Manhattan Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, Room 2202 North

Find the Community Board Presentation Here

EVENT: Stakeholder Convening
On June 19th, 2019, the conceptual design approach was presented to community and government agency stakeholders. At this event, NYC DOT recapped the project history and public engagement process up to date. The design team introduced their previous work and the winning FRP proposal, “The Dragon’s Roar.” VAI then facilitated a feedback session to hear from stakeholders, answered questions and discussed future outreach strategies.

This convening provided critical input early in the design process. Feedback from this meeting will be incorporated into design refinements and discussed at the upcoming Community Board meetings.

UPDATE: Design Team Selection
On November 15th, 2018, a design team led by Urban Arts Partnership (UAP) was awarded the contract to fulfill the vision for the Gateways to Chinatown project for the Canal Street Triangle. With studios in Brisbane, Shanghai, and New York, UAP will work with the world-renowned Australian artist, Lindy Lee, whose practice explores her Chinese ancestry through Taoism and H’an (Zen) Buddhism – philosophies that see humanity and nature as inextricably linked. Chief among the multidisciplinary design team is LEVENBETTS, an award-wining architecture practice based in New York City.

After conducting a pre-proposal conference on May, 9, 2017, NYC DOT released the Gateways to Chinatown Request for Proposals (RFP) on April 19, 2017. UAP was selected from over 80 teams who responded to the RFP on June 19, 2017. The selection process involved extensive reviews and interviews conducted by stakeholder evaluation and advisory committees in accordance with City procurement procedures. UAP and their design team’s proposal achieved the highest scores for design quality and approach; they also ranked highest with regard to qualifications and experience.