Honoring Joe Lhota, Key Architect In Closing Fresh Kills Landfill

Borough President Vito Fossella, City Buildings Department Commissioner James Oddo, and Freshkills Park Administrator Mark Murphy joined together to honor Joe Lhota, who spearheaded the efforts to shutter the Fresh Kills Landfill.

They presented him with a proclamation, which declared April 25, 2025, as “Joe Lhota Day” on Staten Island, during a press conference at Freshkills Park on Friday.

“Very often it’s the people up top who get the accolades and the sunshine, but it’s guys like Joe Lhota who actually got it done,” said Borough President Fossella. “I think the people behind the scenes who got it done need to be acknowledged.”

As the Deputy Mayor of Operations in the administration of Mayor Rudolph Guliani, Mr. Lhota became the point person when it was announced that the city would finally close the landfill after 48 years.

He crafted the solid waste management plan that made the closure possible and negotiated deals to facilitate the transportation of the city’s garbage to landfills in upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia.

Following the press conference, Borough President Fossella, Mr. Lhota, and the city officials in attendance traveled through North Park, which opened in 2023 and offers breathtaking views of the area’s hills and waterways, access to the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge, and opportunities for birdwatching.

Freshkills Park will open in stages and will be three times the size of Central Park and the largest park built in New York City in more than a century when fully complete in 2036.

“To see the transformation, it’s just amazing,” said Mr. Lhota. “What’s really amazing is to see the natural life come back.”