Update on Squibb Park & Bridge
[nggallery id=”43941″ template=galleryview] At last month’s Community Board 2 Parks and Recreation Committee meeting, Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corp. head Regina Myer and Matthew Urbanski of Michael Van Valkenburg Associates, the landscape architect for the park, gave an update on the renovation of Squibb Park and the planned construction of the bridge over Furman Street…
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At last month’s Community Board 2 Parks and Recreation Committee meeting, Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corp. head Regina Myer and Matthew Urbanski of Michael Van Valkenburg Associates, the landscape architect for the park, gave an update on the renovation of Squibb Park and the planned construction of the bridge over Furman Street that would connect Squibb Park to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Urbanski noted (as we have and as the updated photo on the jump shows) that the first phase—park house/comfort station, skate elements, improved landscaping, new fencing and new pavement—of the Squibb Park renovation is already underway. Urbanski also noted that the bridge will be an open truss structure; steel members will be formed into a truss, with steel mesh between steel guardrails and a concrete pathway. The span of the bridge is expected to be roughly 230 feet. The bridge is forecast to cost between $4 and $5 million but, as part of Phase 2 of the Squibb renovation, is not yet funded. The park, including its skateboarding features, is expected to be usable this summer, though.
As a stereotypical Brooklyn Heights silver-haired geezer, I don’t care one way or the other about the skate park (though I hear the youn-gins like this sort of thing). But I’m super psyched to hear that the north Heights is still slated to get its own park entrance, funding or no funding. Last I had heard, the bridge was off the table completely.
Crank, the Joralemon / Atlantic entrance is basically the same, i.e., the Pier 6 entrance to the Park. That leaves a long, desolate stretch of Furman Street between Atlantic / Joralemon and Fulton Landing with no cross street(s) providing ingress or egress. Squibb Park may not be ideal, but at least it’s a third option, and it is adjacent to the promenade.
Skatepark! This would be an incredible addition to the ‘hood–Bomb the Watchtower hill or go street style at Squib. They might have done better to put a skatepark (with a bowl or two?) on one of the piers down on the park (ala the skatepark about to open at Chelsea Pier), but this will do. Other than the stairs / ledges are there any other details on the skatepark elements? This bridge will also be good business for eateries Tut Cafe and Jack the Horse. Both are top notch in their own ways.
CGar – there will be an entrance at Joralemon street, right? This will also be a great connection for the A train at High St.
I’m earmarking my park donations for the bridge to connect Squibb Park to BBP. There needs to be access closer to the promenade, and there needs to be access other than Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue, IMHO.
“I like how the ramp turns into the stairs/seating. Pretty cool.”
Recipe for disaster…perfect launch for skateboarders. I guess this is an ADA requirement.
Tybur, that’s funny, but it’s a huge improvement over what was there before. This is all really turning out very nicely. Can’t wait for it all (including BB Park) to be finished!
In all seriousness — are the stairs going to be made of some water permeable substance? Or will there be an irrigation system for the trees?
I like how the ramp turns into the stairs/seating. Pretty cool.