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OFFICIALS PROPOSE PLAN AMENDMENTS TO ADVANCE BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, City Council Members David Yassky and Bill de Blasio, State Senator Martin Connor, Assembly Member Joan Millman, and Congress Member Nydia Velázquez announced a set of proposed changes to plans for Brooklyn Bridge Park that they believe will move the park from the planning stage to construction. After meeting last week, the group has united around a list of proposals they believe best address the community’s concerns and desires for what will be Brooklyn’s and New York City’s next great public park.  With the goal of supporting the environmental impact statement for Brooklyn Bridge Park so that the necessary properties can be transferred and the construction begun, they will work together with the City and State to incorporate the following changes to the plan.

PARK NOW

• Provide interim park improvements and access near Atlantic Avenue .

RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

• Reduce the height of the residential building on the upland of Pier 6 to twenty stories or less.

• Preserve the full Con Edison site as parkland.

• Develop residential projects, if feasible, elsewhere in DUMBO, in lieu of the Con Edison site.

RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL AMENITIES

• Provide active indoor and outdoor recreation facilities.

• Develop a middle school for Region 8.

• Consider adaptive reuse options for the Purchase Building

IMPROVED TRANSPORTATION

• Develop a ferry terminal at Atlantic Avenue with accessory commercial activity.

IMPROVED ACCESS AND EGRESS

• Design a more inviting park entrance from Atlantic Avenue.

• Improve access to the northern end of the park, especially from the Vinegar Hill/Farragut area.

• Enhance pedestrian access to Fulton Ferry Landing on Old Fulton Street.

SERVICES

• Provide public security instead of relying on a private security company.

“Community input must be the foundation of any great public project such as Brooklyn Bridge Park,” said Borough President Marty Markowitz. “After many years of community input, we believe it is our responsibility, as elected officials, to see that the park finally gets built for Brooklynites and all New Yorkers to enjoy. That is why we are here today, speaking with one voice.”

“We should bear in mind that if we do nothing and the process drags on, the real estate market could decline, necessitating even more development to support the public space,” Senator Marty Connor pointed out. “Putting forth yet another alternative plan isn’t helpful. We need to adjust the current plan so that it works for the community and move forward.”

“Our recommendations address the concerns we have heard from our constituents over many years of process,” Assembly Member Joan Millman said. “Now we have an obligation to deliver the park to the community.”

“Ensuring optimal year-round recreational facilities is especially important to Brooklyn residents, and ensuring the greatest public access is key,” said Rep. Nydia Velázquez. “That is why I secured federal money for a thorough transportation planning and access study that will continue to actively engage the community and improve public access to this waterfront park. But we have to get it going first.”

“We can further democratize our park by designing a grand entrance at Atlantic Avenue and developing a Region 8 middle school in the park, which would broaden the year-round constituency for the park and make it an even better public benefit,” Council Member Bill de Blasio said.

"For swifter, more efficient completion of the park, it is necessary that the development corporation make changes to the park plan that will ensure its success," Council Member David Yassky said.  "For instance, we must ensure that parkland will be built at the same rate as private development, that residential buildings are in scale with the community, and that there is enough revenue to sustain the park for years to come."