About the Project
Since 2023, Chhaya Community Development Corporation has been focused on activating Lt. Frank McConnell Park into a community gathering place for residents in Richmond Hill, Queens. “Richmond Hill is an incredible and diverse neighborhood,” says Jess Balgobin, Special Initiatives Manager at Chhaya Community Development Corporation. “Our community deserves places that we can go to rest to rejuvenate and to be creative.”
Collaborating with design team Studio Fōr and Hive Public Space, Chhaya embarked on a robust community engagement process to inform the intervention. It was clear the community was interested in a feature that could support various gatherings, events, and showcase the cultures and heritage of Richmond Hill.
The result of months of community engagement was the Richmond Hill Community Arts Hub, a colorful, multi-use installation whose colors are inspired by the homeland flags of the community. On the opening day, the Hub served as the stage for the Richmond Hill Arts Festival, now hosts a lending book library, and will be a resource for programming and services provided by local organizations.
With a long term goal of sustaining the use of the park for and by the community, the team plans to continue programming the Hub and build a community stewardship group that can guide the future vision of the public space.
Learn More About the Project
Explore the team’s full report on their process, findings, and vision for what’s next.
Explore the team’s presentation at the Local Center Summit in November 2024.
Learn more about Chhaya CDC’s vision for Richmond Hill.
Team
Chhaya CDC is the only South Asian and Indo-Caribbean Community Development Corporation (CDC) in the nation. Chhaya works to build community power, housing stability and economic well-being for New York’s South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities.
Studio Fōr and Hive Public Space came together out of a shared love for New York City and an understanding that public spaces are integral to the health and well-being of our neighborhoods, especially those that are overlooked. Their approach is community-centered and collaborative, and through this project, they aim to facilitate the creation of an equitable, inclusive space for and by the communities of Richmond Hill.
Fauzia Khanani
Laney Vela
Ayesha Agha
Gabo Halili
Alexandra Gonzalez
Priti Patel
Special thanks to Jose Miranda, Jyothi Nair, and Deena Darby, who contributed to the first phase of the project.
Video by DaeQuan Collier; Images courtesy of partner organizations
Support
Our Rooted Cultures projects are made possible with lead support from the Mellon Foundation and with additional major support from the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, the NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund, and the Lily Auchincloss Foundation.
Urban Design Forum programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
To learn more about supporting the Local Center, please contact Katherine Sacco, katherine@urbandesignforum.org and Lauren Nye, lauren.n@anhd.org.