NEW YORK CITY-Marking the official start to the summer season, city officials broke ground on new public and park space on Governors Island, paving the way for future development at the 172-acre site just below Lower Manhattan. During a press conference late Thursday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the first phase of construction will be completed in 2013, which will include 2,000 new trees, parkland, public art installations and play areas across 30 acres.

As part of the Bloomberg administration’s $260 million investment in the Island’s economy over the next two years, the spaces –to be designed by landscape architecture firm West 8 – will be constructed with $75 million in city capital funds. The capital program will also address several infrastructure improvements, including the development of 2.2 miles of seawall docks and the addition of electric and telecommunication systems.

Bloomberg said the upgrades come on the heels of an increase in tourism, and will help realize the city’s goal of transforming the island into a “year-round” community. During last year’s four-month summer season, Bloomberg said 448,000 people visited Governors Island on the weekends and on holidays, compared with 8,000 visitors in 2005. “The current popularity of Governors Island is based on an agreement with New York State that the city reached two years ago that established clear lines over the Island’s use and development,” he said.