Avenue of the Americas Association

ormed the Sixth Avenue Association. The first order of business was a campaign for the demolition of the Sixth Avenue EL. The Association’s vision was to recapture the prestige the Avenue once enjoyed. In 1924, work began to remove the northern section of the El from 53rd to 59th Streets. As tracks were being torn down, plans were being developed to replace old buildings with high-rise structures that included hotels, offices and apartments. Construction on Rockefeller Center began in 1930 and the first building was completed in 1932. Fourteen more buildings were completed in 1939 and an additional three by 1963. In 1934, the Association proposed to Mayor LaGuardia "to build the Sixth subway now and put people to work." The new subway opened in 1940 with Mayor LaGuardia and John D. at the controls of the first train. With these major achievements, the Association then turned its attention toward further enhancements for the Avenue’s businesses, workers and visitors. These accomplishments include:


Upgraded zoning
Redesign and rehabilitation of Bryant Park
Substitution of buses for trolley cars
Improved lighting for pedestrian and vehicular traffic
Renamed Sixth Avenue "Avenue of the Americas" to better reflect the grandeur of the reconstructed Avenue

TODAY
The Avenue of the Americas Association continues to address business operations and quality of life issues such as:


Working with city officials on the major reconstruction of the Avenue
Initiating widening the Avenue’s sidewalks by three feet to accommodate increasing pedestrian traffic
Contributing $25,000 to the NYC Fire Department for the construction of its fire Safety Learning Center at Rockefeller Center
Donating $60,000 to the NYC Police Foundation toward the purchase of 18,000 bullet proof vests
Contributing $10,000 for the purchase of computerized tracking equipment installed at both Midtown North and Midtown South Police Precincts
Donated $15,000 to Museums located along the Avenue during the city’s current budget cuts