TRAVIS — Vendors looking to run programs and operate food operations and other facilities at the under construction Freshkills Park are being sought by the city.
On Tuesday, the Parks Department and Borough President James Oddo's office put out a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for a variety of new services for the large park.
"Freshkills represents a once in a lifetime opportunity and it is essential we get it right," Oddo said in a statement.
"I believe it is important that the private sector takes a look at the property and uses its creativity and vision to provide the types of amenities that Staten Islanders need and want and that they can uniquely provide."
The proposals should appeal to a large variety of people. The RFEI included a large number of suggested ideas, with the Parks Department adding their open to hearing others.
The list includes bike and kayak rentals, restaurants, concerts, a water taxi or ferry service, farmers markets, archery, ice skating rinks, a BMX bike park and hot air balloon rides, according to the RFEI.
If the ideas sent through the RFEI appear feasible, the city will then release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the project.
"Freshkills Park is in the midst of a remarkable transformation from the world’s largest landfill into a world class, beautiful park," said Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver said in a statement.
"As Freshkills Park emerges as the largest park developed by New York City in more than 100 years, it has limitless potential for ideas to activate its sites for public use."
The site used to be the Freshkills landfill but the city started to turn it into a park after it closed in 2001. The 2,039-acre park is opening in phases and expects to be fully open to the public by 2036, according to its website.
The Parks Department will host meetings about the plan on Dec. 3 and 7 at Freshkills Park and the deadline for the RFEI is on Jan. 8 at 3 p.m.
