$75 million gift announced by Andreas Dracopoulos for redesigning Lincoln Center West campus and launching amphitheater

In a major boost to cultural revitalization efforts on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Andreas Dracopoulos today announced a landmark $75 million gift from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, marking one of the most significant philanthropic contributions in the institution’s recent history.

The donation officially launches Lincoln Center’s ambitious West Initiative, a $335 million redevelopment project that aims to reimagine Damrosch Park and improve access to the western side of the iconic performing arts campus.

The announcement was made by Andreas Dracopoulos, Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, who emphasized the project’s commitment to equity, public space, and cultural accessibility.

“This gift represents our belief that world-class art and public space should be open and inviting to everyone,” said Dracopoulos.

“Lincoln Center has long stood as a beacon of artistic excellence. With this initiative, it now extends that beacon outwards—welcoming, inclusive, and green. This is a bold vision for how culture and community can meet.”

The West Initiative, which has quietly progressed since 2023, will transform the underutilized Damrosch Park into a dynamic public gathering space featuring a new, state-of-the-art open-air amphitheater. This larger performance venue will replace the current band shell and accommodate more flexible, community-facing programming. The plan also includes a complete reworking of the park’s perimeter—removing barriers, enhancing greenery, and making the area fully accessible from surrounding city streets.

LCPA President Mariko Silver described the project as a “once-in-a-generation” transformation that will fundamentally reshape the way the public engages with Lincoln Center.

“Where the old park doesn’t welcome the neighborhood and never lived up to its promise,” Silver said, “the new space will extend the glorious sense of wonder that inhabits all of Lincoln Center. It will be a gift for New York City and for art lovers everywhere.”

To date, $218 million of the total $335 million has been raised, with additional leadership support from the Starr Foundation and a $10 million commitment from the State of New York.

The remaining funds will be sought from both private philanthropy and public sources. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed in spring 2028.

The SNF’s transformative commitment underscores its ongoing global mission to fund public-facing cultural and civic spaces.

The foundation previously funded the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens and has supported numerous New York institutions, including the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins and Columbia University’s Manhattanville campus initiatives.

“This is about more than buildings—it’s about belief,” said Dracopoulos. “Belief in the power of culture to bring us together, in the role of public space as a democratic platform, and in the idea that institutions like Lincoln Center can be both world-renowned and deeply local.”

The redevelopment promises to be a milestone in New York City’s evolving relationship with public space, arts, and accessibility, solidifying Lincoln Center’s position as both a cultural anchor and a community asset.