Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and various city officials and elected leaders, including Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, celebrated the reopening of the 140,000-square-foot Orchard Beach Pavilion in The Bronx on Wednesday, May 20. It followed the $114 million reconstruction project that restored the landmarked building’s historic architecture, expanded ADA access, and revitalized concession and community spaces.
Built in 1936 with funding secured largely through the Works Progress Administration, according to City officials, the pavilion has been fully closed since 2009. Known for its striking columns, limestone cladding, bright blue tiles and terrazzo flooring, as reported, the pavilion was designated a landmark by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 2006.
Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
“No longer can The Bronx be treated as an afterthought in a city of five boroughs,” the mayor said. “As beach season approaches, Bronxites and New Yorkers from across this city will once again be able to gather at the Bronx’s only public beach in a space worthy of this community and its history.”
For her part, Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson said, “The reopening of the Orchard Beach Pavilion is an exciting investment that reflects the City’s commitment to world-class public spaces for New Yorkers to enjoy in all five boroughs.” She added, “We’re thankful to our partners across City government who helped restore this landmark and ensure it is accessible and open to all New Yorkers.”
Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
The pavilion’s ground floor is now open to the public and includes upgraded restroom facilities. Visitors can also enjoy the upper balconies to take in views of the beach and Long Island Sound.
NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura said Parks was proud to have restored the pavilion to its former glory, with what she said was a level of investment that The Bronx deserved. “Thanks to this project, the pavilion is more accessible to all visitors, will offer improved amenities, and has a revived look that highlights its striking architectural features,” she said. “After being closed off to public access for more than 17 years, we’re thrilled to welcome New Yorkers back to the pavilion this summer!”
Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
The restoration also included extensive structural and architectural repairs to the roofs, columns, limestone cladding, glazed terracotta, terrazzo and metalwork, City officials said, adding that the project also added new trees and upgraded lighting throughout the site.
EDC Interim President and CEO Jeanny Pak concurred with her colleagues, saying, “The Orchard Beach Pavilion is one of New York City’s most beautiful destinations, and we are thrilled of the work we have done to renovate this historic space that will be enjoyed by many New Yorkers when beach season officially begins.” She added, “With these renovations, the ‘Riviera of New York’ will once again become a public amenity that is fitted for modern times, and we look forward to welcoming families to this landmark destination to relax, rest and play.”
Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
The reopening was also welcomed by Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) Chair Lisa Kersavage, who said the restoration of the landmark Orchard Beach bath house and promenade showed what was possible when government delivered for the people of New York.
Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
“Originally built during the Great Depression to create a beautiful public space for all New Yorkers, thanks to restoration and accessibility improvements led by NYC Parks and NYC EDC and approved by LPC, this iconic Bronx landmark is ready to welcome visitors back for this summer and beyond,” she said.
City officials said historic concession spaces within the pavilion are being rebuilt to accommodate new food and retail offerings, with upgraded mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for long-term resiliency. They said NYC Parks selected Unwind Hospitality Group to operate food service and merchandise spaces within the pavilion.
Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
They went on to say that the company will partner with local vendors to provide a range of food options for beachgoers, adding that the concession areas are expected to open later this summer, while the pavilion’s restaurant space is scheduled to open in 2027.
City officials said the reconstruction project was funded by the Mayor’s Office, the Office of Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, who was present for the formal reopening ceremony on Wednesday, the New York City Council and New York State. They said the design work was completed by Marvel Architects and construction management services were provided by Gilbane.
Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
“A beautiful Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the opening of the beach season at Orchard Beach with elected officials, parks officials and PS72X students,” Gibson later said. “We are extremely excited that the $114M Pavilion project is completed that has transformed our beach with restoring the building’s architecture, improved accessibility, improved lighting and upgraded concession areas.”
She added, “As we begin the summer season and welcome beach goers this holiday weekend, we are excited to welcome everyone back to Orchard Beach. Thank You to all of our stakeholders for your commitment and leadership! The Pavilion has been restored to its former glory.”
BRONXITES AND OTHERS soak in the last of the summer rays at Orchard Beach in September 14, 2024. The beach was closed at this point for swimming as the season had ended but people were still enjoying the last of the summer sunshine. Video by Síle Moloney
Orchard Beach is The Bronx’s only public beach and, according to city officials, spans 115 acres and stretches 1.1 miles along Pelham Bay Park. They said the beach features a promenade, playgrounds, picnic areas, a soccer field and courts for basketball, volleyball and handball. It is also home to NYC Parks Orchard Beach Nature Center, which offers educational exhibits on local wildlife, live marine displays and programming led by the Urban Park Rangers.
As reported, two construction workers were injured during the renovation of the Orchard Beach site in 2023, and in 2022, during a since abandoned plan to accommodate asylum seekers at a temporary Orchard Beach shelter site, a motorcyclist was killed when he crashed through a barrier.
NYC Parks officials said New York City public beaches will officially open for the summer season on Saturday, May 23.
Photo by Síle Moloney
The annual “Hoops in the Sun” basketballl tournament takes place each year at Orchard Beach, as does the borough president’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display. Read more here about the basketball tournament. Some of the concerts which make up the borough president’s annual summer concert series are also held at Orchard Beach. More details to follow.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.