Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation

A state appellate court has tossed out an appeal to block the planned Brooklyn Bridge Park, removing a potential obstacle for the 85-acre project slated to rise along the Brooklyn waterfront.

The decision, which came earlier this week, marks a defeat for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund, which has vehemently opposed the creation of new housing on the parkland’s edge in order to finance the maintenance.

Many hurdles remain: the planned parkland, on the drawing boards for well over a decade, is substantially over budget given the increase in construction costs, and no sources have been identified to cover the shortfall. Further, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation is resisting the concept of floating walkways that run through the park, as the agency is concerned about effects the structures could have on marine life.

The Defense Fund expects to appeal to the Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state.  read more »

The former president of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation has swapped jobs with her successor, taking a position with the city.  read more »

Some interesting articles in The Brooklyn Papers:

• Mayor Bloomberg is set to appoint a new development czar for downtown Brooklyn--sources say it's Joe Chan, a chief advisor to Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff.


• City Council member David Yassky is demanding a 90-day stay in the demoliton of the Duffield Street houses, which were believed to have served as a station on the Underground Railroad. Developers want to turn the property into a parking lot; haven't they heard of campaign contributions?


• There is no crime wave in Prospect Park. Let the cruising continue!


• Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz mugs for the camera ... again. Oh yeah, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation got the title to a mile of waterfront, too.


• Bruce Ratner gets to tear down buildings that he's alrady torn down!


• Pedestrian- and bicycle-advocacy stalwarts Transportation Alternatives is trying to find ... well, alternatives to Grand Army Plaza's traffic circle of death.

-Matthew Grace  read more »

Yesterday the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the demolition of 11 Water Street, an Art Deco two-story warehouse built in 1936, to make room for the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Demolition of the building will begin next year.

According to a spokesman for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, the land will be used for a plaza in the summer and an ice-skating rink in the winter. The demolition of the park is necessary because it bifurcates the northern and southern ends of the park; once removed, the parkland will be continuous.

The two-story building is currently the home of the New York City Office of Emergency Management, the same agency that had to be evacuated on Sept. 11, 2001. It's curious that the O.E.M. moved out of the frying pan (the W.T.C.) and into the fire (just beneath the Brooklyn Bridge!--weren't the terrorists planning to blowtorch that?).

We've got a call out to the O.E.M. to see what its plans are for moving. Let's hope it's somewhere away from any obvious terrorist targets.

-Matthew Grace

PS: We're having blog problems today. Comments aren't available for now, but we're trying to fix it up. Patience!  read more »

The Post is reporting that Brooklyn Bridge Park, which won't be completed till 2010 (if ever), might just open up to the public as soon as this spring. Well, some of it anyway. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation is considering opening Pier 2, and they're asking the public for suggestions.
But what does "open to the public" really mean? Will there be grass? Trees? Or just concrete? And how the heck are people going to get there?

(via Brownstoner)  read more »

-Matthew Grace