Brooklyn's Progress
October 2003|

By the Office of the Mayor

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Governor George E. Pataki opened the newest segment of Brooklyn Bridge Park recently.  This 1.5-acre segment was converted from a parking lot into lush green parkland as part of a far-reaching City/State plan to transform a 1.3-mile stretch of the formerly industrial Brooklyn waterfront.  In July of 2001, work began to provide increased public access to Brooklyn’s historic waterfront, and the opening celebrated the $6.6 million, city-funded renovation of this portion of the park.  The Mayor and Governor were joined by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Deputy Mayor for Administration Patricia E. Harris, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Empire State Development Corporation Chairman Charles Gargano at a press conference at the park on September 22, 2003.

“The opening of this critical portion of Brooklyn Bridge Park is a prime example of this administration’s commitment to providing unprecedented public access to New York City’s waterfront,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “This project is an important step in the Brooklyn Bridge Park development process and will provide new recreational opportunities at the water’s edge for thousands of New Yorkers of all ages.”

“Over the last eight years, we have established the Hudson River Park, protecting 550 acres of open space along the Hudson, and two new parks along the East River, one in Queens and one in Brooklyn,” Governor Pataki said. “Reclaiming the waterfront is a right of all New Yorkers, and the opening of this newest section of Brooklyn Bridge Park underscores our commitment to opening up our waterfronts and making available new recreational opportunities for scores of New Yorkers while preserving our state's unique natural and cultural resources, and building on our commitment to promoting urban greenspace and waterfront for the people of New York City and visitors to the region.”

“This is Brooklyn at its best.  When we reclaim our waterfront, we reclaim our past while ensuring our future.  Brooklyn Bridge Park is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create something that will out last all of us here today, which is why I was thrilled to be able to help fund this historic project,” Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz said.  “This park is a great example of what can happen when government and the community work hand in hand creating an unmatched urban oasis.”

“Brooklyn's historic shore is being reclaimed by the people of New York City,” Commissioner Benepe said. "This park is the most significant public project on the Brooklyn waterfront since Robert Moses created Shore Parkway in the 1930s.  It will stand alongside Prospect Park as one of the most important open spaces in Brooklyn. We encourage all city dwellers to take a break from the hectic pace of city life at Brooklyn's latest green gem.”

“It is wonderful to have watched the conversion from this parking lot to this spectacular park in such a short period of time. It truly is a symbol for all us about the future of the Brooklyn Bridge Park and our city,” said Marianna Koval, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition.

The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation has stabilized and reconstructed the shoreline, using large granite boulders to replace the rubble. On the southern edge, the rocks were pulled back to create public access to the water. Large granite steps and a pedestrian path lead to the scenic viewing spot. A new plaza with bluestone paving and special seating links Brooklyn Bridge Park to Empire Stores/ Fulton Ferry State Park, serving as an entranceway for both green spaces.  Native shoreline plantings have improved the wildlife habitat at the river’s edge. Trees, shrubs and wildflowers have also been planted. Pedestrian paths, new sidewalks, benches, fencing, park lighting and a nautical flagpole make Brooklyn Bridge Park even more enjoyable for all New Yorkers.

The children’s play area has a nautical theme, featuring a 50-foot ship’s hull and a spray shower shaped like a paddle wheel ferry. The playground segment of the project was completed in December 2001, just five months after the groundbreaking. The next phase of construction extends the waterfront experience and is expected to start in fall of 2003.

This new park lies within the historic district of Fulton Ferry, now known as DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges Overpasses). When the first commercial ferry service between Long Island and New Amsterdam started in 1642, this neighborhood was established as a hub for maritime commerce. From 1850 to 1912 the Catharine Slip Ferry carried passengers from Main Street – the site of this project – to the shores of Manhattan. With the completion of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges in 1883 and 1902, ferry service dwindled, but the Brooklyn waterfront remained an active port for many years.

The decline of maritime commerce coupled with a surge in the area’s residential population helped to inspire the creation of this waterfront park. In 2002, the efforts of the Local Development Corporation and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition, along with elected officials, and community residents spurred the creation of Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation (BBPDC) officially formed by Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki. The BBPDC, a subsidiary if the Empire State Development Corporation, is creating a master plan for a 1.3-mile park stretching from the Manhattan Bridge to Atlantic Avenue on City, State and Port Authority properties.

Any commercial development of the balance of the land will be guided in character and quality by the Master Plan with all revenues dedicated to the operation and maintenance of the park. In addition to green space for active and passive recreational uses, the park will include indoor recreational and cultural facilities and commercial retail such as shops and restaurants along with the possibility of additional development. Plans call for the development of sports fields, playgrounds, fishing piers, promenades, and other recreation space, as well as green spaces, a hotel and conference center, as well as restaurants.

Last Spring, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation retained a team lead by Landscape Archiect Michael Van Valkenburgh, former Chair of Harvard's Landscape Architecture Division, to create a design for Brooklyn Bridge Park.  Van Valkenburgh's projects include the redesign of Washington DC's Pennsylvania Avenue, Teardrop Park in Battery Park City and Pittsburgh's Allegheny Waterfront Park.   

The BBPDC is comprised of eleven directors, six appointed by the Governor and five appointed by the Mayor. Members appointed by the Governor are Chairman Charles Gargano (ex-officio), Commissioner Bernadette Castro (ex officio), Julio Mercado, John Watts, David Offensend and Valerie Lancaster Beal. Those board members appointed by the Mayor are Vice-Chairman Daniel Doctoroff, Deputy Mayor Patricia E. Harris, Commissioner Benepe, Joanne Witty, and Gilbert Rivera. James Moogan, who has more than two decades of service with New York State Parks, is the Development Corporation's Executive Director.