Several times in June, the gates to Crescent Park in the Bywater remained closed hours after the park’s scheduled opening time. And near sundown, a preferred time for joggers and visitors opposed to the day’s stifling heat, many were made to leave early by park security.
Those changes have been an adjustment for those who frequent the vibrantly landscaped linear park, as Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration takes over the park’s management amid ongoing negotiations between the city and Audubon Nature Institute to operate the space.
In May, the city began providing maintenance and security for the 20-acre park after long-time operator, French Market Corp., relinquished control…