The Orchard Beach Pavilion will finally reopen this summer following a $114 million reconstruction project that restored the historic structure, improved accessibility and upgraded the building’s energy efficiency and resiliency features.
The 140,000-square-foot pavilion, which closed in 2009, was originally built between 1936 and 1937 using funds from the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal-era agency that carried out public works projects during the recovery from the Great Depression. The pavilion was first opened by Parks Commissioner Robert Moses and Mayor Fiorello La Guardia and was designated a historic landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2006.
“The pavilion was intended to serve everyday New Yorkers with a grand communal space featuring the highest quality design and architecture, and it quickly became one of the star attractions in the Bronx,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “But over the years, it fell into disrepair.”
The reconstruction project, led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation and NYC Parks, restored the pavilion’s signature Art Deco design, including its columns, bright blue tiles and terrazzo flooring, helping revive Orchard Beach, also colloquially known as the “Bronx Riviera.”
City officials said the project included restoring the pavilion’s columns, replacing the roof, installing new lighting fixtures and ADA-accessible ramps, upgrading HVAC systems to improve energy efficiency and adding flood-resistant features to make the structure more resilient. Crews also planted new trees and landscaping and restored original decorative elements, many of which had not been seen in decades.
The renovated pavilion now includes ADA accessibility improvements, new public restrooms and new cafeteria and concession spaces. City officials said they are putting the final touches on the concession areas ahead of the pavilion’s summer reopening. Unwind Hospitality Group will operate on-site services at the pavilion while partnering with local vendors.
Elected officials and community leaders celebrated the reopening of the pavilion, noting that the restoration followed years of advocacy efforts to preserve the historic structure.
Friends of Pelham Bay Park President Nilka Martell said the pavilion initially lacked the capital funding needed for rehabilitation, but advocates spent years highlighting the beach’s historical and cultural importance. Those efforts eventually helped secure the first $10 million in funding from former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said her office allocated a total of $31 million toward the reconstruction project. Gibson also announced that the annual Bronx Summer Concert series will return to Orchard Beach following the opening.
Lydia Bennett, who has visited Orchard Beach since moving to the Bronx from Puerto Rico at age 3, toured the renovated pavilion in awe of the restored structure, which now provides beachgoers a place to cool off from the summer heat.
“They had everything — the food, the showers — but this, this is much nicer,” Bennett said.
Reach Marina Samuel at msamuel@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
