Bryant Park, I Hardly Knew Ye

Mayor Bloomberg has confirmed reports that beginning in September 2010, New York Fashion Week will bid a fond farewell to Bryant Park and move on to a grander venue, Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. Damrosch Park, which can be found at 62nd St. and Amsterdam Avenue, is a concert venue with a concrete plaza that seats 3,000. The larger space will allow Fashion Week, which generates $773 Million in economic activity yearly, to continue to grow. “The fashion industry is a vital part of our City’s economy, providing more than 175,000 jobs and generating billions of dollars in wages for New Yorkers annually,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Ensuring the industry’s long-term success and promoting Fashion Week – the industry’s greatest showcase – is more important than ever as we work to retain and create jobs during these difficult times and diversify the City’s economy.” The new venue will provide about 87,000 square feet of space for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week shows, compared to the roughly 70,000 square feet available at Bryant Park – a 25 percent increase. Until Fall 2010, biannual events will continue to take place at Bryant Park, including the Fall 2009 collections which begin on February 13. - Inside sources agree that the move is merely a temporary fix. The contract between IMG Fashion and Lincoln Center is for five years, and according to to WWD, "many industry executives continue to expect [Fashion Week] to be located in the redeveloped Hudson Yards once that project is finalized."