Billionaire Bill Ackman Bankrolls Rebuilding of West Side NYCHA Playground

Throughout the years, the outdoor space around Harborview Terrace, a public housing complex has lost its much of its appeal, but after a big overhaul that is no longer the case after a “secret donor” agreed to put forth $6 million to $7 million to renovate the playground that will include a first ever pickleball court. And he even pitched in to help do some of the paint work himself.

The mystery of the donor’s identity was short-lived. The web site W42st.com received confirmation of the individual as hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, whose name was apparently already widely known inside Harborview Terrace. Ackman is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pershing Square Capital Management an activist investor who over the years has held stakes in McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and engaged in a long term battle against Herbalife Nutrition, a vitamin supplement company.

Forbes, which estimates his net worth today at $3.6 billion. And now he is kicking back some of his profits into a public housing playground.

After walking by the area for years on his way to work, Ackman, who lives on Central Park West, decided to anonymously put forth “$6 or $7 million” to transform Harborview Terrace’s outdoor space as council member, Gale Brewer, said at the CB4 meeting.

Brewer initially identified him only as a “wealthy man” who had approached Maria Guzmán, the president of Harborview Terrace Tenants Association, saying that he wanted to fix up. Brewer did not find out it was Ackman until a week ago. “It’s too good to be true. It’s fabulous,” Brewer said to Straus News.

The 20,000 foot outdoor space will have a fully restored basketball court, a new pickleball court, ping pong tables, chess tables, seating areas, planters, water fountain, lighting, wheelchair ramp, murals, and vegetables to combat food insecurity according to Guzmán. She said, “It’s going to be a gift that keeps on giving.”

Ackman has spent hours assisting with the project by painting the court and playing courts Guzmán told Straus News. “This was a gift from heaven,” she said.

Guzmán shared that when her son passed away at the age of 48 from a blood clot, the last voicemail that he left was him saying, “We have to do something about the basketball courts.”

She went on to say, “An angel. That’s what Bill Ackman is to me.”

Brewer said, “There was a tremendous need for it. The asphalt was uprooted, the basketball court was deteriorated, there was no character. It was a mess.”

As a part of the renovation, genEquality–a nonprofit organization–has partnered with The Public Housing Community Fund and the Harborview Terrace Tenants Association to collaborate with the residents of Harborview and artist, Laura Alvarez, to design a mural representing the diverse backgrounds of residents that the area houses.

It took four weeks of workshops to finalize the designs for the outdoor space, deciding to center the Nudge Art Installation on “community and belonging.” One of the main features is the phrase, “You Belong,” along the perimeter of the walls in more than 20 languages.

Despite what the walls say, one of the three playgrounds will not belong forever.

Brewer has an ongoing project under development that will provide affordable housing for women with mental illness and or chemical addictions that will potentially take down one of the playgrounds in the future. Brewer says, “Eventually it will happen. It could be another four or five years, and everyday for these families is important, but Ackman knows that as time goes on it could be impacted.”

Ackman will also be working on the senior and kids playground across the street. The celebration for the revival of the outdoor area will be on October 28th.