The reaction from the city's architectural community has been swift and strong, with an online petition for Esposito's reinstatement garnering more than 200 signatures in 24 hours.
The 7-acre waterfront space is the first state park in New York named for an LGBTQ person and trans woman of color. Public art and infrastructure improvements are planned for 2021.
In a recent RFQ for the lead design architect of a federal courthouse in Florida, the General Services Administration stated that "Classical architectural is the preferred style." The AIA has condemned this mandate.