RIVERSIDE PARK FUND ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF DAN DOCTOROFF TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND JOHN HERROLD AS PRESIDENT

(New York, October 1, 2009)

Riverside Park Fund announced today that Dan Doctoroff has joined its board of directors and John Herrold has been appointed president of the organization. Mr. Doctoroff is the president of Bloomberg, LP and the former deputy mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding for the City of New York. Mr. Herrold, whose appointment took effect July 1st, was already serving as administrator for Riverside Park for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. He now holds both positions.

Stretching five miles from West 59th to 155th Streets along the Hudson River and covering 340 acres, Riverside Park is widely regarded as Manhattan’s most spectacular waterfront park. It touches a diverse collection of city neighborhoods, and draws visitors from across the region. Left forlorn by the economic crisis of the 1970s, Riverside Park has enjoyed a steady restoration and is now heavily used throughout the year. Founded in 1986, Riverside Park Fund is the park’s non-profit conservancy organization. Its advocacy for Riverside Park, fundraising, and its deployment of a highly structured volunteer force have been integral to the park’s recovery.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Dan and John assume leadership roles within our organization,” Robert L. Weigel, chairman of the board of directors said. “John has been an outstanding park administrator. By taking on the additional role of president of Riverside Park Fund, he will help us focus our efforts where they are needed most. Dan has tremendous energy and enthusiasm and all of us on the board look forward to working closely with him. ”

In June, the board voted to appoint Mr. Herrold president in a move to focus more resources on the care and improvement of Riverside Park and to more closely align the activities of the Fund and the Parks Department, long time partners in caring for the park. The Fund’s previous president, James T. Dowell, had announced his planned June departure after thirteen years with the organization.

Mr. Herrold outlined near term goals for the organization. “We want to improve park maintenance, continue the park’s restoration, and enhance programming. To achieve this we need to strengthen our overall financial position and will be working to increase the Fund’s visibility and attract new supporters.”

“As a lifelong resident of the Upper West Side, I have always enjoyed Riverside Park with my family, friends and neighbors,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “Thanks to the efforts of Riverside Park Fund, the park has never looked better. The Fund does remarkable work in preserving the park’s history while raising funds for park improvements and leading the community in active stewardship projects. John Herrold has been a tremendous park administrator and Riverside Park Fund will enjoy continued success with him in his new role as president. I also am pleased to welcome Dan Doctoroff – a user of parks and a strong advocate for them – to the board of this fine organization.”

As deputy mayor, Mr. Doctoroff oversaw the construction of new park land and the creation of PlaNYC, a broad based, 127-point plan to increase New Yorkers’ access to parks and to make the city more environmentally sustainable in the coming decades. Mr. Doctoroff, who is also a resident of the Upper West Side, said, “Deciding to join the board of Riverside Park Fund was an easy decision for me. My wife and I have raised our children in the park. I run, ride and walk my dog in the park. Riverside Park can be one of the crown jewels in the park system. I am excited to help make that happen.”

About Riverside Park Fund
Riverside Park Fund nurtures Riverside Park’s well-being, helps preserve its historic nature and leads the community in developing active stewardship. Find ways to become involved at www.riversideparkfund.org. Founded in 1986 by a small group of community activists, today Riverside Park Fund is a strong nonprofit partner with both the City and the community whose goal is conserving, improving and beautifying Riverside Park’s 340 acres.

About Riverside Park
Riverside Park has numerous playgrounds, pedestrian malls, waterfront pathways, dog runs, a wide range of sports courts and fields, a skate park, a large portion of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, three kayak launches, and the 110-slip public marina at 79th Street, an important part of New York State’s Water Trail. Neighbors use the park daily to run, walk their dogs, take their children to playgrounds, relax on a bench, or picnic on a lawn. Locals and visitors from farther afield come to compete in sports, bike, kayak, bird watch, and enjoy cultural events.

As one of only eight officially designated scenic landmarks in the City of New York, Riverside Park has a long and storied history. Frederick Law Olmsted’s 1875 design was executed by Calvert Vaux and Samuel Parsons, and the park first opened in 1880. Olmsted’s landscape, with its rocky precipices, sylvan lawns, and groves of mature elm trees, has offered escape from the city and opportunities for people of all incomes to relax, play, and socialize in tranquil settings.

In 1901, the viaduct spanning the valley of Manhattanville from 125th to 135th Streets was constructed. Designed by engineer F. Stuart Williamson, it allowed the extension of Riverside Drive and the park to 153rd Street. As with the southern Olmstedian section of the park, a massive, highly architectural Beaux Arts retaining wall was constructed to allow for the construction of Riverside Drive. From Riverside Drive, the land terraces down to a man made shoreline and promenade constructed between 1937 and 1941 under the administration of Robert Moses. The designers, Gilmore D. Clarke and Clinton Loyd, added 134 acres to the park and twenty-two modern recreational facilities. They wove through this extraordinary collection of active recreation and scenic areas a vital north-south automobile artery and a tunnel covering the railroad tracks that run the length of the park. Riverside Park South, designed by Thomas Balsley Associates, stretches from West 59th and West 72nd Streets. Since 2001, it has added 17 of an eventual 27 acres of lush waterfront park land. In 2008, the gap between the northern and southern sections of Riverside Park was bridged by the creation of West Harlem Piers Park between 125th and 135th Streets.