Arranged and described by:
Ellen H. Belcher
March 1999

Dates: 1974-1982

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Saul Nimowitz worked for various offices under the Department of City Planning for the City of New York. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn on September 3, 1933, Nimowitz went on to receive a BA from NYU and an MS from Columbia in Social Work. After positions in social service agencies in Chicago and New York, In 1962, he was appointed Bronx Borough Director for the Department of City Planning, in 1971 he was appointed Director for the Apparel Industry Planning and Development. (225 Broadway, 18th floor). In September of 1974 a Special Projects Unit was established in the department of City Planning to wok on programs for people with disabilities, with Nimowitz as the director until July 1980. In August 1980, Nimowitz was appointed Senior Development Director in the NY Office of Economic Development.

SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The papers document the projects work and accomplishments of Nimowitz directed while working in the various offices of the NY City planning office. The bulk of the papers are related to a project to create a "Playground for all Children" which he worked on from 1974-1980. This project included a design competition, with the winners selected 12/1976, a seminar, October 1976 and an exhibit November-December 1977. The Playground still exists, on Corona Avenue in Queens. At certain times in his career, Nimowitz felt insecurity in his job, and began job searches, the personal papers series document these searches.

The papers do not include any materials related to Nimowitz's early career in the Bronx Bourough office or various community service agencies. Nor do they relate to any activities after 1982.

PROVENANCE
Found on book truck in fifth floor stacks, marked do not touch, in 5 oversized boxes, Linear feet upon appraisal =6 Linear feet deaccessioned =2 (unrelated published materials)

ARRANGEMENT NOTE
The materials in the boxes appeared to have been collected quickly and haphazardly, and retained only skeletal original order. This order was recreated, resulting in a rough chronological, office, and project related arrangement. Because some materials overlapped, correspondence was kept in a strict yearly order. All effort was made to keep folder contents together. Strictly personal materials related to the Nimowitz family and to sequential quests for employment were moved to a personal papers series at the end. Photographs and other audio-visual materials were also culled out and placed in separate boxes.

References:
Tom McDermott "City Hall's Man on S. A." Women's Wear Daily, Oct. 26, 197?

Leo Standera "Daily Closeup." (article on Nimowitz) (October 1974?) "Feast and Frolic on Fashion Avenue." NY Post. June 8, 1972.

Richter, Nora. 1978 "A Playground that Welcomes the Handicapped." AIA Journal March 1978:90-91.

Saul Nimowitz Papers
BOX LISTING
Box 1: General correspondence 1974-80

Project Files
Box 2: Office of Apparel Industry Planning and Development 1972-73
               Fall Fashion Festival 2
               Westside Renewal Project 1973
          Office of Director of Special Projects, NYC Department of Planning 1974-
              Gateway National Recreation Area: Handicapped Recreation Plan 1976-77

Playground for all children
Box 3: Handicapped contacts
           HUD Report, National Survey of Playgrounds for Handicapped Children, 3/1976
           Design Competition kit (seminar 10/7/1976)
           Architectural and design competitions, 1976-77

Box 4: Grant proposal correspondence, 1977
           B.O.R. Application, 1977
           H.E.W. grant application, January, 1977
           Requests for Proposals, Design Submissions November 1, 1977
           HUD grant application, 1977-78, 1978
           Funding 1977-78

Box 5: Articles about Playground for all children, 1978
           Promotional Materials, May 1978
           Playground Corporation of America (PCA) Correspondence 7/6/78
           Albany Exhibit 1978
           Meetings, Minutes 1979
           HUD grant administration, 1979
           Final Approvals and bidding, 1979-80
           Playground Corporation of America (PCA) Contract, 1979-80
           Material relating to budget restraints, 1979-80
           Contracts and bids, 1980

Box 6: Parks Department workshop
           Miracle Recreation Equipment
           Playground Equipment companies, miscellaneous
           Related materials
           Opening
           Planning the Future of New York City January 1979
           miscellaneous events
           George booth drawing of city planning department

Office of Development, Office of Economic Development
           South Street Seaport Project
           Flatbush Center Commercial Development Plan 12/4/80
           Long Island University, Brooklyn c1980.

Personal documents
           Job search, employment applications: 1974
           1980: Correspondence relating to job termination or transfer and Job Search.
           1981? Correspondence related to job search

Box 7: Rolodex

Box 8: Color Slides
           Relating to the Playground for all children

Box 9: Photographs and Artwork
           Fall Fashion Festival 1972-73
           Planning the Future of New York City, 1979 photos and artwork
           Playground for all Children photos of playground models
           LIU, Brooklyn campus, demolition of gas station on Flatbush Avenue
           Saul Nimowitz personal family photographs

Box 10: Unidentified videotapes and films

Box 11: Publications

Top Of Form

Created By: Ellen Belcher
Revised: 3/14/2000