For more than four decades MMPCIA, a 501c3 volunteer organization, has continued its stewardship of the Mount Morris area and Marcus Garvey Park. The members of MMPCIA were the catalyst for restoring the park’s beauty. At their urging, in 1986 under the leadership of Manhattan Borough Commissioner Patrick Pomposello, $1 million was put into the Parks Department budget to develop a master plan for restoring the park which included tearing down buildings and landscaping the East Side while restoring the amphitheater and the city’s only remaining fire watchtower.
In 2013, Syderia Asberry-Chresfield and Laurent Delly initiated and spearheaded the fundraising efforts to restore the Fire Watchtower after that was suffering from years of neglect and disrepair. Partnering with the Department of Parks and Recreation and others, $4.5 million was raised to restore the historic cast iron structure which was dismantled in 2015 and opened to the public today, Oct 26th, 2019.
MMPCIA has continued to advocate for and keep pace with the changing face of the community and its ever-evolving needs. We are dedicated to revitalizing the expanded Historic District and beyond and to foster an environment of open and active opportunities. We support neighborhood beautification, programs for our youth and our seniors, and scholarships for the next generation of leaders. We reflect the spectrum of voices, ideas and opinions of those who share the neighborhood.
