Washington Square Park Conservancy signs five‑year license with Parks Department, pledges recurring staff funding

Will Morrison, Washington Square Park administrator and executive director of the Washington Square Park Conservancy, told Manhattan Community Board 2 that the Parks Department and Conservancy have signed a five‑year license agreement that formalizes the longtime partnership and secures a recurring fundraising commitment for park staff and programming.

Morrison said the Conservancy has agreed to commit at least $1,100,000 each year for five years to fund city staff positions that work in the park. "The conservancy is committing, for 5 years every year to fund at least $1,100,000 in funding for staff positions at the park," Morrison said at the meeting. He emphasized that the positions are city employees with city benefits and pensions, and that the agreement does not transfer ownership of parkland to the Conservancy.

Why it matters: The license formalizes private‑public fundraising and gives the Conservancy new tools (adopt‑a‑bench, fundraising events and clearer sponsorship pathways) to direct money specifically to Washington Square Park rather than the citywide parks general fund. It also creates a clearer avenue for the Conservancy to participate in capital planning and fundraising for long‑term upgrades.

Task force work and neighborhood programming Morrison described a mayoral/district‑attorney co‑led Village inter‑agency task force addressing quality‑of‑life issues in the park’s northwest corner. He said parks crews and partners have removed more than 2,800 needles and more than 15,000 bags of debris from the corner since January, and that Parks Enforcement staff recorded 139 social‑service encounters there. Morrison said the Conservancy has expanded its artist residency program in the northwest corner from one day a week to three days and is piloting positive programming (drawing series, knitting lessons, scrabble tournaments) to activate the space.

Conservancy responsibilities and fundraising tools The license agreement formalizes the Conservancy’s role to raise private funds to support operations and capital needs specifically at Washington Square Park, Morrison said. Among the points he mentioned: - Conservancy funding under the agreement will fund city staff positions (city payroll and benefits remain in place). - The Conservancy will be able to run up to four dedicated fundraising closures per year (limited, designated areas rather than parkwide closures) and can run targeted campaigns such as adopt‑a‑bench or adopt‑a‑tree‑guard where proceeds stay in the park. - The agreement allows the Conservancy to be a formal partner on larger capital work and to seek philanthropic and donor support for projects left out of previous renovations.

Community reaction and questions Several community members raised concerns about process and oversight. Artist Kanami Sajima asked whether NYU has any special agreement for large student gatherings; Morrison said there is no separate agreement and encouraged anyone who sees an unpermitted large gathering to check with the Parks office calendar. Longtime neighborhood activist Catherine Swan said the board had passed a resolution in 2013 that the Conservancy would not receive a license agreement and asked why the board and public had not been engaged earlier; Will and other board members said the license formalizes an existing operational partnership rather than privatizing parkland. Parks Borough Commissioner Trisha Shimomura (who joined the meeting) said license agreements do not transfer city ownership or close parks to the public and noted there are several such agreements in the city.

Next steps and enforcement topics Morrison and Parks staff said they will continue to work through the Village task force, expand programming in the northwest corner, and follow up with performers about a separate package of suggested rule and enforcement changes the artists provided to the Parks Department. Morrison invited performers and other users to bring specific proposals and meet with Parks staff to discuss feasible rule changes and enforcement approaches ahead of the busier summer months.

Ending: The license agreement formalizes the Conservancy’s multi‑year financial commitment and expands its fundraising role for Washington Square Park; the announcement prompted neighborhood questions about transparency, and Parks and the Conservancy said they will return with implementation details and follow‑up meetings.