Cuomo slammed for taking Rockefeller Park space for concrete COVID memorial

Residents of Battery Park City are protesting a plan by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take green space from a local park to make way for a concrete coronavirus memorial to honor essential workers.

The growing number of opponents said they were blindsided and steamrolled by Cuomo, who made the announcement last week to erect the “Circle of Heroes” memorial for COVID workers in Rockefeller Park — without input from the Battery Park City community. “This memorial requires bulldozing a local community park with natural grass and trees where many friends and family members gathered safely outdoors during the pandemic, and where many children run and play. The memorial will replace natural grass with concrete and an ‘eternal flame,'” said Battery Park City resident Adrian Mak.