One Brooklyn
January 25, 2017
BOROUGH PRESIDENT HAILS SAFETY AND RESILIENCY ENHANCEMENTS OF POPULAR PUBLIC PLAZA IN DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, AS HE HIGHLIGHTS ADDITIONAL $10M+ IN FY17 CAPITAL FUNDING TO UPGRADE PARKS ACROSS BROOKLYN
BROOKLYN, NY, January 25, 2017: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams hailed the safety and resiliency enhancements that have been completed as part of the reconstruction of Columbus Park, a popular public plaza in Downtown Brooklyn that is adjacent to Brooklyn Borough Hall and Kings County Supreme Court; the project fulfills a pledge he made during his campaign to renovate the historic open space, which had fallen into disrepair over a number of years and led to a variety of pedestrian injuries. The $11 million undertaking, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Borough President Adams, replaced the cracked bluestone with granite pavers that can better withstand inclement weather, the high volume of foot traffic associated with cross access to the surrounding business district and nearby transit lines, as well as the park’s use as home to the Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket — open year-round on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays — and as a film shoot location for dozens of movies and television shows. Borough President Adams celebrated the upgrades to Columbus Park, ones which he noted have maintained the historic integrity of the area, with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting on Friday, and thanked NYC Parks Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Martin Maher for his team’s hard work on this endeavor.
“We have built a solid foundation for the future of Downtown Brooklyn’s greatest open space,” said Borough President Adams. “Before I took office, I promised to take out the crumbling bluestone and replace it with a plaza we can all be proud of for years to come. With the support of City Hall, this dream became a reality. I look forward to the millions of Brooklynites and visitors who will use Columbus Park in the years ahead, and I hope it will be the foundation for our bold vision of the Brooklyn Strand, a plan to connect and transform the neighborhood’s disparate parks and greenways.”
“Thanks to the generous funding from Borough President Adams and the Mayor’s Office, the popular Columbus Park has been refurbished with materials that are both beautiful and resilient,” said Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Maher. “The new plaza preserves the rich history of Borough Hall and Columbus Park, and we will continue to care for it so the thousands that pass through commuting or visiting the farmer’s market have a wonderful park for years to come.”
Borough President Adams used this announcement as an opportunity to highlight more than $10 million in allocations from his Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) capital budget that were dedicated to improving parks across Brooklyn. This included several projects funded as part of his participatory budgeting (PB) partnership with council members from around the borough; he allotted $100,000 for basketball court upgrades at Brower Park in Crown Heights, working with Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., and he granted $235,000 for the creation of the Kensington Dog Run at the Prospect Park Parade Grounds, working with Council Members Mathieu Eugene and Brad Lander. Additionally, he partnered with Council Member Eugene on funding the City’s acquisition of the garden lot at 237 Maple Street in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens to be maintained as the Maple Street Community Garden; Borough President Adams apportioned $750,000 for that purchase.
In partnership with Mayor de Blasio, Borough President Adams also advanced forward major upgrades at a number of Brooklyn’s mid-sized parks, including $2 million each to Betsy Head Park in Brownsville and Linden Park in East New York toward synthetic turf fields and tracks at both sites. They further collaborated on $1.1 million for basketball court upgrades at Wingate Park in East Flatbush, $1 million for general improvements to Bensonhurst Park in Bath Beach, and $900,000 for enhancements to the Myrtle Avenue side of Fort Greene Park in Fort Greene; the latter project, focusing on improving the park’s accessibility, drainage, entrances, landscapes, and paths, was initially supported by Borough President Adams through a $1 million allocation in his FY16 capital budget.
Building on his commitment to restoring the eastern side on Prospect Park, Borough President Adams committed $1 million to improving the Ocean Avenue perimeter; he allotted a combined $1,000,000 to the Flatbush Avenue perimeter in his FY15 and FY16 capital budgets. He also highlighted his FY17 capital budget’s impact on Jacob Joffee Playground in Flatlands, through a $1,000,000 contribution for park renovations, and on Homecrest Playground in Sheepshead Bay, through a $500,000 award to reconstruct and expand the playground.
“Open space, both active and passive, is vital to building safe communities that raise healthy children and families,” said Borough President Adams. “Parks are the exclamation points that answer many of our borough’s open questions, from how we tackle our public health challenges to where we celebrate our rich diversity. My capital budget reflects a continued commitment to this quality of life investment that is a necessity for holistic neighborhood growth.”
PHOTOS
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, joined by NYC Parks Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Martin Maher (left) and NYC Parks First Deputy Commissioner Liam Kavanagh (right), cut a ceremonial ribbon celebrating the safety and resiliency enhancements that have been completed as part of the reconstruction of Columbus Park, a popular public plaza in Downtown Brooklyn.
Photo Credit: Ryan Lynch/Brooklyn BP’s Office
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