June 7, 2023

Gothamist: “Queens Botanical Garden in Flushing announces largest-ever philanthropic gift”

Longtime BKSK client, the Queens Botanical Garden was gifted a large sum that will in part fun the new Education Building designed by BKSK and slated to open in 2024.

“The holiday giving season may be over, but the Queens Botanical Garden is getting a big present: the largest philanthropic donation in its history. On Tuesday, the 83 year-old Flushing institution announced an $8 million gift from the Bluestone Foundation. The money will be used to develop and launch environmental education programs for young people in Queens. In return, the names of Joan and Norman Bluestone, who established the foundation, will adorn a new city-funded building to house those programs, for which the Botanical Garden is expecting to break ground this summer. Evie Hantzopoulos, the garden’s executive director, said a meeting with foundation trustees showed a direct connection between the new building’s designated purpose and the Bluestone Foundation’s mission of serving students in all Queens communities.” Read the full announcement here

This past week we joined the Garden and supporters to celebrate the Garden’s 75th birthday, and honoree Joan N. and Norma Bluestone Foundation. (pics below)

Image Copyright: Queens Botanical Garden
A lush garden filled with blooming pink, yellow, and peach roses, surrounded by green bushes and tall trees under a cloudy sky.
A close-up of a circular stone fountain with concentric steps is in the foreground, wet with water, and a large green lawn and dense trees are visible in the background.
Close-up of two blooming pink roses in a garden, with more pink flowers and green foliage in the background. In the distance, a softly lit building is visible among tall trees at dusk.
A garden with blooming pink, red, and white roses in the foreground, leafy trees in the background, and string lights glowing near a building at dusk.
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