New York City announced plans Monday for a decades-long renovation of Hart Island, a strip of land in the Bronx that houses one of the country’s largest public cemeteries.
The goal is to make the island more welcoming to visitors, city officials said. Hart Island was for years largely off limits to the public — even as more than 1 million people were buried there, many of them unclaimed or unidentified.
Those buried include Civil War veterans, thousands of people who died from AIDS-related illnesses, including the first infant to die from the disease, and New Yorkers who died during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to city records.
Public access to the island only began in recent years. In 2021, the city parks department took over management of the site and launched free public tours and gravesite visitations. Now, the agency is releasing a long-term plan to improve the island’s infrastructure and climate resilience.
“This concept plan presents a suite of proposals that can improve the physical conditions and resiliency of the island, and provide a better experience for visitors as well as agency staff that manage its daily operations — all through the lens of respectfully honoring those who are laid to rest on this peaceful island,” Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa said in a statement.
The proposed improvements include a welcome center, upgraded restrooms, a restored chapel for remembrance and new shelters for protection from extreme weather.
The proposal also aims to help the city adapt the island to sea-level rise, while preserving its burial capacity for years to come.
“This plan outlines more opportunities to enhance the landscape and further strengthen access to the island for family and next of kin looking to honor the final resting place of their loved ones and New Yorkers who wish to learn about the important history of Hart Island and its ongoing evolution,” Molly Wasow Park, commissioner of the city's social services department, said in a statement.
