What is the deal with the park? Owners need to clean it?

[LiberalFighter]

What has NYC done? Privatized their parks?

Who pays for the maintenance?

[Enrique]

1. i just learned that Bryant Park is privately owned

I was surprised, I wasn't familiar with the concept of private city parks.

[Graybeard]

2. The building across the street had to provide "open space".

The building was allowed to be higher than the zoning regulations specified as long as they had a plaza or open space near-by. It's not a city park it's private property.

[ret5hd]

3. i think this describes it adequately:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x632098

[MADem]

4. The cleaning has been postponed.

The reason it is a private park is because the owners made a deal with the city to allow use in exchange for a building variance.

When the building comes down (as they sometimes, eventually, do), the deal is off.