GOVERNORS ISLAND — Construction on the 30-acre new park that is a central part of Governors Island's transformation from a Coast Guard base into a year-round destination has been completed, city officials announced Thursday.
Hammocks, expansive ball fields and playful greenery with maze-like hedges that will be waiting for visitors when the island reopens to the public in May.
The 2,000th tree planted on the island was also the 800,000th to be planted in Mayor Michael Bloomberg's initiative to plant 1 million trees in the city by 2017.
"Today marks another important step forward for the Island," Bloomberg said.
Other features of the new parkland include a playground with swings and a jungle gym made from massive logs, as well as whimsical works of art, such as a huge blue telephone hung from a towering tree.
Governors Island Park is just one piece of a plan for transforming the former Coast Guard base into a year-round destination with transformed public spaces, as well as cultural and commercial buildings.
A series of large hills are also under construction and will offer sweeping views of the city's skyline when they are done in 2015.
The island also recently announced its first three private tenants, slated to open in 2015 — a day spa, an international student campus and an arts center.