Historic Foley Square in the middle of some of Manhattan’s most storied public institutions is filthy with signs of neglect — from destroyed public art to defective street lamps and “dangerous” broken pavement.
Part of the city-maintained green space — the site of a series of high-volume protests from Occupy Wall Street to anti-ICE demonstrators — scored an “unacceptable” rating last year in a Big Apple audit after years of good marks, and even Mamdani administration officials admit it still remains in unsightly condition months later.
“We are aware of the needed upgrades in this park and are seeking solutions to upgrade and restore this site,” a rep for the city Parks Department recently told The Post.
Locals couldn’t agree more while navigating the abysmal conditions surrounded by municipal buildings and state and federal courthouses.
“It could use a lot of help,” said a 26-year-old Manhattan dog-walker named Alex, pointing to piles of litter, animal waste and crumbling chunks of pavement missing from the square’s sun-shaped mosaic walkway.
A makeshift steel oil drum-turned-trash can overflowed with garbage during a recent Post visit to the square — and there were multiple overturned NYPD barricades and defective street lamps at night.
The public site’s apparent neglect has led to several fellow dog-walkers tripping and “bust[ing] their face open” because of the uneven ground, Alex said.
“Kids can trip and fall, dogs can step on glass if the walkers aren’t paying attention,” she said.
“Things like that are very dangerous, especially since this is supposed to be clean [and] safe for the public.”
The Parks representative said department employees work to regularly clean up Foley Square, including during scheduled trash removals twice a day.
The entire site was last renovated with an $18 million facelift in 2000, complete with upgraded pavements, new benches, improved fountain drainage, enhanced lighting and plantings, the agency said.
The square, named after Tammany Hall-era district leader Thomas Foley, also contains Thomas Paine Park, which has racked up a handful of similar litter, sidewalk and homeless assistance complaints in recent years, according to 311 complaint data.
The plaza has been the site of raucous Occupy Wall Street rallies as well as protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline and the police-involved death of Staten Island dad Eric Garner.
Last summer, the square played host to a massive anti-ICE protest that saw over 80 protesters arrested.
At least some New Yorkers say the increased attention to the area from the protests has only spotlighted the negligent conditions, not exacerbated it.
“[The protests] actually bring more recognition to the park because when people see it they’re like, ‘Hey what’s going on over there?’ ” Alex said.
Parks only started to dole out “unacceptable” ratings to Thomas Paine Park in June, when the site’s cleanliness and overall condition were described as “unacceptable” because of graffiti and weeds.
Some New Yorkers say the square has fallen into even worse disrepair since.
“A few months ago, it didn’t look like this,” said city resident Omahira Arce, who was visiting the Civic Center area with her daughter last week. “When I was a kid, this didn’t look like this.
“Somebody could trip and fall,” the 41-year-old said, pointing to the broken pavement under her feet. “That’s a lawsuit.”
Arce’s 23-year-old daughter Sanaya said, “There should be a lot more effort” to repair the plaza “or at least enthusiasm about getting it done.”
