Prospect Park's Rose Garden to Become Pollinator Garden

The $37.5 million restoration project will transform the historic Vale area of the park.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 9:03am

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The Rose Garden in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, which hasn't had roses for decades, will be replaced as part of a $37.5 million restoration project that will reinvent eight acres of the park's Vale area. The project will create a 'nature-based play area' with features like tree stumps, logs, and boulders, as well as a new pollinator garden to attract migrating birds along the Atlantic Flyway.

Why it matters

The Vale restoration is part of a broader effort to make Prospect Park more accessible and family-friendly, while also acknowledging the area's history as a gathering spot for the LGBTQ community. The project aims to balance preserving the original Olmsted and Vaux design with modernizing the space to meet current community needs.

The details

The restoration project will replace the existing Rose Garden, which hasn't had roses for decades, with a new pollinator garden featuring 'bird-friendly species' of flowering plants. A new pavilion with bathrooms will also be built into a hillside, though some preservationists have opposed this addition as a 'dramatic change' to the historic landscape. The overall project is designed to make the Vale more accessible, better maintained, and focused on families and children's play, in line with the original Olmsted and Vaux vision.

  • The $37.5 million restoration project will be completed in 18 months.
  • The groundbreaking ceremony for the project took place on Monday.

The players

Julia Kerson

Deputy Mayor of New York City.

Morgan Monaco

President of the Prospect Park Alliance and the park administrator.

Andrew Dolkart

Professor of historic preservation at Columbia University.

Frederick Law Olmsted

The architect who, along with Calvert Vaux, designed Prospect Park.

Calvert Vaux

The architect who, along with Frederick Law Olmsted, designed Prospect Park.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.