Brooklyn's Progress
April/May 2005

By Matthew Willse

Floating gardens and purifying sculptures are two possibilities included in the plan designed by Greenpoint-Williamsburg residents. They called on neighbors, artists, and gardeners to propose works of beauty that clean and restore the environment.  At the same time they appealed to business people like Steve Hindy of Brooklyn Brewery and politicians like Nydia Velázquez for support. Amidst the flurry of plans for waterfront development, this creative energy might revitalize the neighborhood's connection with its historic waterfront.
 
The site for these future projects is a New York State Park just west of the L train's Bedford stop. Though only two square blocks, the site will provide the southern anchor for the city's Waterfront Access Plan, a park slated to stretch 1.6 miles north through Greenpoint and along the mouth of the Newtown Creek.

“Clean energy solutions is the way of the future,” said Mr. Hindy.  “Brooklyn Brewery’s commitment to wind energy and finding ways to incorporate organic principals in beer making is on the leading edge of Brooklyn’s green revival.  There’s no doubt that Williamsburg is one of the greatest art communities in the United States.  Combining art and environmentalism makes a lot of sense.”
 
Just six years ago, this same parcel of land nearly became the largest waste transfer station on the east coast. That prospect was one in a series of events that brought together neighbors and activists to preserve public access to this space, used for recreational and cultural events by the community. Today, Brooklyn Architects Collective have joined with Neighbors Against Garbage and Friends of the Williamsburg Waterfront to not only improve the park, but to create a sustainable agent of waterfront remediation.
 
“We are fortunate to have one of the most beautiful waterfronts in the country right here in our community,” said Congresswoman Velázquez.  “Plans for the waterfront must be inclusive, and should extend this great resource so that all residents are able to enjoy and take advantage of open, recreational space.  Green art should be part of a healthy plan for re-creating an exciting Brooklyn waterfront for families and youth, as well as local businesses.”
 
This initiative exemplifies the creative efforts leading toward a cleaner, more livable Brooklyn. Success of projects like this one stem from their ability to achieve three goals in concert: to engage the community through arts and recreation, to improve the environment through creative interventions, and perhaps most importantly, to educate the public about the vital balance within our built and natural environment.
 
"The waterfront is unknown territory to many community members," said Enrico Cullen, Director of Development & Public Affairs at Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment.  "Our environmental education programs reach thousands of children, youth, and adults in Greenpoint and Williamsburg every year, but a greater education effort is needed. Educative sculpture and play structures provide an excellent means to raise awareness."
 
Massive rezoning in the area has brought widespread attention to the waterfront. Plans for commercial and residential towers in Greenpoint-Williamsburg represent the largest land-use changes the city has undertaken in decades. While this provides a relief from the prospect of more waste management or a new power station in the neighborhood, it creates new concerns around transportation and gentrification. The environmental impact will be tremendous as well.
 
"Green buildings, open space - those are the things that all projects should strive for city wide," said Basil Seggos of Riverkeeper, an organization dedicated to protecting the Hudson River and the city's watershed. "With people living this close together, you have to think of a sustainable method." He is particularly concerned with the overtaxed sewer system. When it rains more than half an inch, the system already mixes sewage with storm water released into the East River.
 
Ecological art and gardens will mediate our impact along the water's edge, and their example might lead to more thoughtful development along the entire waterfront.
 
Proposals will be reviewed in May. The selection committee represents a wide range business and community interests. From Steve Hindy at the nearby Brooklyn Brewery to Borough President Marty Markowitz and U.S. Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, the group demonstrates a broad commitment to this initiative and to a more accessible and healthy waterfront.
 
For more information, contact Michele Bertomen at Brooklyn Architects Collective (BAC): (718) 387-6587 mcb@brooklynarchitects.com.
 
Matthew Willse specializes in fundraising and design.  See his work at http://www.thecoup.org/.