Queens Botanical Garden Gets $12M for New Greenhouses

The state of New York has approved $12 million to build two new greenhouses at the Queens Botanical Garden. The money will replace aging structures that date back to the 1960s and recently failed during a severe cold snap. The new facilities will move to the edge of the park, clearing the center for a new outdoor garden.

In January, heat loss in the existing greenhouses killed hundreds of plants, including mature banana trees and other warm-weather species. Evie Hantzopolous, the garden’s executive director, said the infrastructure had faltered before but noted this incident was the worst. She described the current structures as unsafe for staff due to cracked pathways and tripping hazards. Hantzopolous was in Albany when the failure occurred and spoke with Assembly Member Nily Rozic, whose district includes the garden.

Rozic and the Assembly’s Queens delegation lobbied Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for support. Heastie initially committed $10 million toward the project. At an announcement event on October 30, he added another $2 million to bring the total state contribution to $12 million. The new buildings will feature modern technology and will be fully accessible to people with disabilities. They will also be partially open to the public for year-round educational programs, a first for the garden.

The relocation of the greenhouses to the park boundary will open up the central area of the 39-acre site. Hantzopolous said the old structures will be demolished to create a public garden space. She described the state funding as a long-overdue upgrade for the community. "We are going to be able to have state-of-the-art greenhouses here at the garden, and it’s something that the garden deserves, that our community deserves, that Queens deserves," Hantzopolous said.

Rozic, who visited the garden as a child, called the funding a full-circle moment. She saw photos of the dead plants shortly after the January failure and described herself as shell-shocked. "Quite literally overnight, the greenhouses failed," Rozic said. She brought her daughter to the garden recently for a children’s program. "I really want to thank Evie and her team for making this garden look as incredible as it does," Rozic said.

Heastie emphasized the value of preserving botanical gardens as open spaces for the community. "Queens deserves this. People deserve this. They are beautiful open spaces," Heastie said. The state grant is part of a larger capital project for the garden. In fiscal year 2024, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng provided $500,000 for greenhouse redevelopment and other capital needs. Assembly members from Queens also secured $2.25 million with the help of State Sen. John Liu to renovate the rose garden, upgrade bathrooms, and improve fencing and gates.

Meng said the combined funding will make the garden a destination for families across New York City. She noted that the space serves a wide range of visitors, from seniors practicing tai chi to children on school trips. Meng’s grandmother recently celebrated her 102nd birthday at the garden. "This garden serves our seniors who are doing tai chi early in the morning, our kids who come here on class trips… They have a children’s garden. People get married here," Meng said.