By Bill Parry
The guardian of the Gantry is gone.
Bill Bylewski, the founder and longtime president of Friends of Gantry for 17 years, has died at the age of 53. He was diagnosed with cancer less than six months ago.
When Bylewski, a professional project manager and interior designer, moved into the City Lights building in 1995, he started the community group that began cleaning the waterfront and making it accessible to the people of Long Island City.
“What you see at Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunter Point South Park are because of Bill’s tireless advocacy and his actions,” Coffeed founder Frank Raffaele said. “He assembled an amazing team that has helped the waterfront thrive and as a result has been integrally important in the overall growth of LIC. He was a gentle man — but he was strong and powerful. When he spoke all listened.”
Raffaele first met Bylewski when he was an adviser for city Parks Department Commissioner Henry Stern in the mid-90s.
“He worked tirelessly to open up the Queens waterfront parks to all,” Raffaele said. “He knew they were treasures and he knew that Queens residents deserved outstanding public spaces. Without his efforts those parks could have been developed and access to the beautiful river blocked by big box stores like at Costco just south of Socrates Sculpture Park.”
Mark Christie, the president of Friends of Hunters Point Library, was an original member in Friends of Gantry.
“It hurts me personally to know how little recognition Bill has gotten for what he did for Hunters Point,” Christie said. “You have people taking all kinds of credit for what has happened in Hunters Point and I guarantee you they never got their hands dirty like Bill did. All these red-tape bureaucrats were nowhere to be seen when it took four years just to get permission to clean the park.”
Back in the ‘90s Bylewski and Christie spent many afternoons chasing gangs of drinking teens and drug addicts from the park.
“We’d pick up beer bottles and dog poop and literally cleaned the streets and have derelict cars towed away,” Christie said. “He was very determined to make the quality of life better for the residents of Long Island City and the rest of Queens, too.”
Friends of Gantry was folded into the Hunters Point Parks Conservancy last year. That group held a membership drive at Chi restaurant Tuesday where Bylewski was scheduled to be honored for his years of service. Several of the group’s leaders spoke of Bylewski’s contributions. “We didn’t want to make it too solemn as we had many new people show up that didn’t even know who Bill was,” Conservancy President Rob Basch said. “We are working on getting one of the gardens or flower areas in Gantry Park dedicated to Bill and we will hopefully have a nice ceremony when the ice age leaves LIC.”
Raffaele opened LIC Landing by Coffeed in Hunters Point South Park last year.
“I am thankful that we are blessed with those in the community like Mark Christie and Rob Basch that have helped shape and support Bill’s mission,” he said. “The parks on the Queens waterfront will continue to thrive and we will honor Bill’s legacy by continuing his work of making them a place where millions will visit and a lucky few will be able to live.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
