Central Landing
2024 - 2075
Central Landing
The Central Landing is a significant location on Hart Island where institutional buildings once stood until their removal in 2022 to make the island safe for visitors and create new burial space. A chapel built by Catholic Charities in 1931 remains a ruin.
This area became active for adult burials around 2010, and many COVID-19 burials were conducted here between 2020 and 2022. Beginning in June 2024, the size of mass graves in this area increased by 33% to 200 adults per plot.
Due to its proximity to the ferry, this area is easily accessible for visitors. New York City Parks is planning to build a visitor center nearby.
Meadows Planting and Grave Reuse
New burials occur above the existing, fully subsided mass graves.
New, individual graves can be added on top of existing mass graves that are four feet below the surface. By 2075, the mass graves from the 2020s in the Central Plain will have fully settled. At that point, a new layer of graves will be added three feet below the surface, with an additional foot of soil added to create a low mound.
This method ensures the existing mass graves remain undisturbed. The new graves will be closed and immediately reseeded with a meadow mix to help stabilize the recently disturbed soil. Simple mowed paths will provide visitors with access to the new graves.
Landscape of Hope
This project was conducted in collaboration with landscape architecture researchers at The Ohio State University Knowlton School and was made possible with support of the Lily Auchicloss Foundation and through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Landscape Design Team Members: Jake Boswell, Jack Gruber, Brendan Ayer and Melinda Hunt
©2025 The Hart Island Project
