« Free Rent at J Condo Open Thread »

January 28, 2009

Pols Highlight Brooklyn Bridge Park's Money Probs

More grim news on the Brooklyn Bridge Park front: Money shortages are likely to delay the completion of the park. In a joint statement released yesterday, all the politicians representing this stretch of the Brooklyn waterfront (Markowitz, Velazquez, Millman, De Blasio and Yassky) struck an ominous chord in anticipation of tomorrow night’s public meeting to disclose the financial status of the project: The private development that was to fund much of the park is on hold indefinitely and (though the first phase is expected to proceed as planned), they said, “No other public source for maintenance and operations expenses is available, and in these tough economic times, we do not believe these funds will come from government sources.” The current estimate for the park’s construction is $346 million, says the post, but only $231 million has ben budgeted. In addition to the development shortfall, the park is estimated to cost $16.1 million a year to maintain, a per-acre cost second only to Manhattan's Bryant Park. In light of the new challenges facing the park, the officials called for the reconstitution of the Community Advisory Council. The public meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. at the Dibner Auditorium, NYU-Polytechnic University, 5 Metrotech Center. Full press release on the jump.
Is Most of BBP Being Put to Sleep for Now? [Curbed]
$16M a Year for Planned B'klyn Park [NY Post]
Photo by runtoline

JOINT STATEMENT ON BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK FROM CONGRESSWOMAN
VELÁZQUEZ, BP MARKOWITZ, ASSEMBLYWOMAN MILLMAN, COUNCIL MEMBERS
DE BLASIO AND YASSKY

On Monday, January 26, the elected officials who represent the Brooklyn Waterfront met with Regina Myer, president of the Brooklyn Bridge Development Corporation, representatives from the Empire State Development Corporation and NYC Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe regarding the public release on Thursday, January 29, of the current financial status for Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman, and Council Members Bill de Blasio and David Yassky issued the following statement:

The first phase of construction of Brooklyn Bridge Park, a partnership between the City and State, is officially underway. The first phase includes Pier 1 and portions of Pier 6 and is expected to be open to the public by the end of the year. This will bring our long awaited dream of Brooklyn Bridge Park to fruition. Our commitment to this park is in response to longstanding public support and a desire for parkland and waterfront access at this site.

The 2002 Memorandum of Understanding between City and State established the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation (BBPDC) as a partnership between the City and State of New York. It created a unique framework to develop and maintain the park, and requires the park to be financially self- sustaining. There was strong public participation in the development of this framework and park design, and we know this participation will continue with the future operations and programming of the park. That is why we are calling for the reconstitution of the Community Advisory Council as soon as possible to ensure public participation.

After a long public planning process, it was determined that maintenance and operation costs would be covered by revenues generated from a limited number of development sites. After extensive analysis, BBPDC determined that residential and hotel development would be the most appropriate way to provide the necessary revenue using the least amount of the project’s land. No other public source for maintenance and operations expenses is available, and in these tough economic times, we do not believe these funds will come from government sources.

Of equal importance is the public’s ability to depend on government to protect our open space resources. But we first asked that the open space be created, and that is exactly what the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation is doing. We ask that the City created are protected in perpetuity.

Lastly, we would like to commend the BBPDC and Regina Myer for their hard work and transparency in opening the books to the public. We also encourage everyone to attend the public meeting on Thursday, January 29, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Dibner Auditorium, NYU-Polytechnic University, 5 Metrotech Center.

CONTACTS:

Mark Zustovich, Brooklyn BP, 718-802-3830; mzustovich@brooklynbp.nyc.gov
Paul Nelson, Assemblymember Millman’s Office, 718-246-4889; nelsonp@assembly.state.ny.us

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/8154

Comments

If they will pay me $10MM (down from the expected $16MM), I will maintain the 85 acre park. It'll be the best kept park in the 5 boroughs.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at January 28, 2009 9:32 AM

who's the posterchild that is always on my case for not believeing this inept boondoggle will ever get finished in our lifetime?
I think you better take off your rosy glasses and see this debacle for what it really is: a hemorrhage of tax dollars for a sliver park that very few want.
Do you wish to know what the vast majority of neighborhood people really want? I'm talking about the real, grown-up working people with families? They want parking!

Posted by: sam at January 28, 2009 9:37 AM

are they bringing that floating swimming pool barge back? that was great.

Posted by: dittoburg at January 28, 2009 9:47 AM

no. the floating pool will be in the Bronx this summer.
But something like that, plus a few picnic tables and a lot of parking, would be all that people want.

Posted by: sam at January 28, 2009 9:49 AM

Don't forget the Marty Markowitz dunking booth.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at January 28, 2009 9:56 AM

Where was Tish James???

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at January 28, 2009 9:57 AM

That would be me Sam. So your position is now - No Park, build a huge parking lot instead? OK - whatever dude. You just lost a ton of credibility with me. Also, you've shown me time and again that you're very quick to criticize without taking the time to understand the issue at hand, and quite frankly I'm a bit tired of spoonfeeding these issues to you. You're a big boy and seem to have the intellectual capacity to understand this stuff if you just got off your duff and did some research. I'll give you a hint. Ever wonder why the maintenance costs for this park are so high? Could it be that they are paying for things through that budget that other parks do not have to pay for? Whenever you compare 2 things, make sure you're making an apples to apples comparison. That's all I have to say on this. We'll see what they say tomorrow night.

Posted by: Make My Heights the P Heights at January 28, 2009 9:57 AM

right, P heights.
you have all the answers because of your superiority complex.
You're the one who also defends the Navy Yard Corporation in light of their hideous mismanagement of that historic site.
Who are you? The Pollyana of NYC? The caped defender of the bureaucracy?
Take a hike!

Posted by: sam at January 28, 2009 10:04 AM

It is hardly grim news that Brooklyn Bridge Park has nearly $100 million in contracts signed, construction has begun on Pier 1 and parts of Pier 6, and 9.5 acres of new parkland will open by the end of this year.

True, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation has said that they're postponing issuing RFPs for the remaining residential and hotel development pieces that will pay for the park's maintenance and operations. This is a prudent response to current market conditions, not an abandonment of the parks financial model.

In fact, the park's largest single residential building, One Brooklyn Bridge Park, is already paying its share of park maintenance funds, and those funds will support the park's maintenance in its initial years.

Brooklyn Bridge Park has always been visionary and, while it has certainly taken longer to begin and will cost more than we hoped, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy believes the community's 22-year commitment to a self-sustaining park, with an independent funding stream, is wiser than ever.

Once the real estate market recovers, seventy six acres of open space will be sustained by less than 4 acres of new construction for housing, a great deal for the people of the City of New York.

We urge all who are interested in learning more about the park's financial model to attend the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation's upcoming public meeting on Thursday, January 29 at 6:00 pm, Dibner Auditorium, NYU-Polytechnic University, 5 Metrotech Center.

Thank you,

Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy

Posted by: Nancy Webster at January 28, 2009 10:11 AM

A sound, rational response, Nancy. Wish we could hear more of these from other Municipal Departments.

MTA???? Hellllloooooooo????

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at January 28, 2009 10:17 AM

No superiority complex. I just take the time to actually look into these issues to understand what's going on before I criticize. There's nothing special about that - anyone could do it sam - even you. You just choose not to. I understand that large public works project are complex beasts (way more complicated than private development because of the multiple constituancies) and take time and energy to come to fruition. So rather than sit back and lob verbal bombs, I dig into the issue. And what I have found, more often than not, is that often projects that look stalled are actually going forward, and decisions that look incompehensible on their face are actually sound decisions based the existing conditions. There are still really dumb things that happen, and I don't hesitate to call those out when I see them. The financial model for Governor's Island for example, seems doomed to fail. Atlantic Yards was not handled correctly, and the fulton street transit center in lower manhattan is one of the biggest screw ups I've seen in a long time. Coney Island looks like it's in the crapper, although I haven't taken the time to look into it, and I suspect that that is another example of there being more going on than meets the eye.
Life is not as black and white, not as simple as the NY Post would lead you to believe sam.

Posted by: Make My Heights the P Heights at January 28, 2009 10:38 AM

I live in Brooklyn Heights, very much want this park to become a reality, and am not bothered one whit by the idea that housing within the park would be expected to pay for it. And I'm even a real grown-up person with a family.

Posted by: BklynJace at January 28, 2009 11:00 AM

And another thing: I find it interesting that the person who's bascialy been saying "If I ran the Navy Yard all the hisotric buildngs would be renovated, and If I ran BB Park it would be built by now" is accusing ME of having a superiority complex. If you're looking for someone with a superiority complex, i'd suggest you see out the nearest mirror, my friend.

Posted by: Make My Heights the P Heights at January 28, 2009 11:14 AM

parking vs a waterfront park? seriously?

i hope to one day walk my kids to this park and leave my car parked on the street, rather than pile them in the car and drive to prospect park.

if this ever gets finished, it will be a truly great thing for our neighborhoods.

Posted by: Danny Noonan at January 28, 2009 11:42 AM

I live in BH and also want the park to be completed and although I have a car, do not want a parking lot. I would imagine that the BBPC is coming up with some alternate designs that would not be as expensive as the original...similar to what we have seen proposed at Atlantic Yards. For example, take out the kayak center,etc, and save it for another time.

Posted by: Remsen at January 28, 2009 12:07 PM

I'm also a grown-up working person with a family, and I'm quite excited about the "sliver park." My young children already love to play in the green space in the small parks down near DUMBO (what would be the end of the "sliver park"), and I'm perfectly willing to keep parking my very old, barely used car on the street like I do now so that I and my family can enjoy more parkland within walking distance.

Posted by: slyone at January 28, 2009 12:11 PM

I loved the floating pool. It cost $28 per swim and that didn't include the circulating bus that was paid for by a grant that Nydia Velasquez arranged for(this figure comes from the NY parks department Brooklyn commissioner). The Park's construction is under way and by 2010 you will have a sizable piece to use. The people who want more activity in the park really want nothing at all. The park will be built. Additional portions of it may take some time. There will be housing and a hotel. Battery Park City pays for the Hudson River and east river parks so the model is not something unusual.
by the way. The portion of the Navy Yard that has detoriated the most...the row housing...has always been under the control of the Defense department it wasn't turn over to the Navy Yard....

Posted by: smeyer418 at January 28, 2009 12:13 PM

Park on hold. Make My Suit The Wet Suit [Splash!].

***Bid half off peak comps***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at January 28, 2009 12:15 PM

"It is hardly grim news that Brooklyn Bridge Park has nearly $100 million in contracts signed, construction has begun on Pier 1 and parts of Pier 6, and 9.5 acres of new parkland will open by the end of this year."

You have to MAKE IT to the end of the year, Sweetie. A contract is just a piece of paper.

***Bid half off peak comps***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at January 28, 2009 12:18 PM

Sam;

Really, are you serious? This site has the potential to be one of Brooklyn's most valuable recreational asset, and you want to put a parking lot there?

I am not knowledgeable enough to make any comment on the manner in which this project has been executed. Having said that, I believe we can certainly aspire to more than a parking lot for prime waterfront property.

Posted by: benson at January 28, 2009 12:31 PM

$28.00 a swim? How do families afford that? that's just outrageous. Can you give a little more detail?

Posted by: bxgrl at January 28, 2009 1:10 PM

Why is this an all or nothing proposition? Cant they eliminate the marina, the cricket pitch, the 10 handball courts, the model car racing, etc., and maybe come up with something that doesn't cost 16mm a year to maintain?

I dont know why we can't have a more European (or Asian) idea of a park down there. Why must it be a "recreational asset" with street hockey and "paved event space" and tetherball? Why not a place with grass where people can gather, have a picnic, enjoy the only-in-brooklyn view, and throw a ball?

I appreciate Nancy's thoughtful response.

>>Once the real estate market recovers, seventy six acres of open space will be sustained by less than 4 acres of new construction for housing, a great deal for the people of the City of New York.<<

How much of the 77 acres of open space is water? How much of the 4 acres of new construction is water? (and isn't it ALL new construction?) Let's make sure that it's an apples to apples comparison.

Posted by: Ringo at January 28, 2009 1:16 PM

bxgirl - you misunderstand. Thye didn't charge people at all - it was free. But what smeyer is saying is that if you take the amount of money it took to bring the pool to brooklyn and divide by the number of people who actually used it, it comes out to $28 a swim. I had actually never heard that number before so can't comment on it. Just wanted to clear up the intention.

BHO - with the low water temps that I would expect in East River next January, I would recommend you wear a DRY suit, not a wet suit. A wet suit would give you hypothermia.

Posted by: Make My Heights the P Heights at January 28, 2009 1:21 PM

Ringo -
I don't think there's model car racing or a cricket pitch in the plan. Also the handball courts, hockey rink and tetherball are in Phase II which is currently not funded.

12 acres of the the open space is water. None of the new construction is water (obviously). It's not all new construction. Two of the development sites (One Brooklyn Bridge Park and Empire Stores) are conversions of existing buildings.

Posted by: Make My Heights the P Heights at January 28, 2009 1:31 PM

This is all such fantasy. conversion of the Empire Stores?
When? How? Aren't they already too far gone to save?
What is surprising to me is that there have not been any indictments served yet on any of the folks involved (for over twenty years!) in the planning of the Park boondoggle.
I hope Andrew Cuomo has this in his sights. Where has all the money gone? How many millions have been spent on salaries and consultants and designs and redesigns and thirty-foot-long models and endless public hearings?
Obviously I have a longer memory than most who post here, and who really believe that this is a legitimate project and is about to happen "any time now". Everyone thought that Bernie Maddoff was brilliant until the house of cards collapsed. This is the Empire Development Corporation's version of the Maddoff scheme. Money goes in, disappears, and all we get are assurance that things have "really turned the corner now" and are "really about to happen" and "we have a great Pop-up park" and it's all really happening now for sure. Yesiree. Meanwhile, where's the park? After twenty years what are they promissing us now? a tiny corner on the northern edge to be ready sometime in 2010? There is something very wrong. Something very fishy.

Posted by: sam at January 28, 2009 2:01 PM

Dave's comment at the start should not be overlooked...does anyone know if the detailed $16 million budget is available somewhere for public review? A lot of staff at that price, for one thing, I'd guess.

Posted by: sidney_rules at January 28, 2009 2:02 PM

Make My --

You seem to know a lot about this. Can you tell me how much money 1BBP is contributing? The numbers I've heard are obscenely low. I know they count the empire state park as part of BBP -- is that being funded by the new construction? I hear that 4 vs 77 number a lot but I think it's misleading. How many acres of development are supposed to support how many acres of park (not counting water)? Any idea?

I get the model car racing, cricket pitches, etc from maps and plans provided to me from the BBP Conservancy at various events (events to sell the park, which I support). It's online:

http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/index.cfm?objectid=B2EF7B23-FF00-454A-64CFC072671C1627&navid=EE3D25A4-3048-7098-AFFFCF51D62FC0BF

Posted by: Ringo at January 28, 2009 2:04 PM

The 16 million is just the tip of the iceberg.
I think the total of funds spent to date top a hundred million.
Nancy, would you care to comment on that?
What has the public received from the hundred-plus million tax dollars spent on the waterfront between Atlantic Avenue and Fulton Street?
And a follow-up:
How much went into the pockets of the longshoremen's union?

Posted by: sam at January 28, 2009 2:13 PM

Ringo - From what I understand, the answer to all of those questions will be revealed at a public presentation tomorrow night, 6PM at Dibner Hall in metrotech. You should go and check it out. I will be there as well, and I imagine it will be reported about on Brownstoner on Friday morning.

Sam - you OK? Sounds like all those postings by people who prefer park to parking have got you a little bit unhinged and spouting conspiracy theories. Calm down little buddy.

Posted by: Make My Heights the P Heights at January 28, 2009 2:16 PM

P Heights.
Thank you very much
You have exposed yourself as patronizing prick you are.

A public heaing! Oh goodie, that's what we have been waiting for!
You can lie to the gullible, but not to me.

Posted by: sam at January 28, 2009 2:25 PM

How much went into Van Valkenburg's pocket, for his fanciful crayon drawings of kayaking areas, wave attenuators and model car track pavilions? Enough to be living at One Pierrepont. Not a bad gig.

I'd like to find out where the money went. 100 million spent thus far? I've been hearing about the park since I was in high school, and I'd like for it to be built before my kid is in high school. But I'd rather see playing fields and tennis and basketball courts than the pretentious bubble-era plan.

Posted by: buttermilk channel at January 28, 2009 3:50 PM

The $28 per person per swim is what it cost the city and the state for every single person who swam there. It cost the swimmers absolutely nothing. The City parks department runs numerous pools and the cost per swim at those pools is much much less(some of which has to do with they are permanent installations and they didn't have the start up costs). The Floating Pool itself was donated by a foundation but all the pier work all the land side work, the water, the lifeguards, the security etc was what cost the NY Parks Department $28 per swimmer for the time the floating pool was at Brooklyn Bridge park. I also don't think it included the $5000 fine that the State DEC gave the Brooklyn Bridge park because of the pool(long story by the way)....

Posted by: smeyer418 at January 28, 2009 4:42 PM

Sam - Agreed, that SOMEONE on this thread has been exposed as a patronizing prick. I'm gonna go with the guy who suggested an 85 acre parking lot so that his car can have a nice view of the statue of liberty.

Posted by: Make My Heights the P Heights at January 28, 2009 4:44 PM

Regina Myers is not related to me, but she has only been there for a little more than a year. Under her tenure the sheds have been removed and the contracts let to actually begin doing the piers and a park actually opening. The regime that was there before can be best described as incompetent. They did waste a lot of money. The problems at the Empire Stores go back to this failed regime. They did let a contract to a developer unfortunately in that case it wasn't Two Trees who had bid for it but lost to that developer who did absolutely nothing on the site. The roof has been replaced but there are still problems( I hear). That first developer has defaulted(?) and the rights have reverted to the park. That part of the park is still exclusively controlled by states park department(you ever wonder why there are different rules for the city part and the sate part its because they are owned and controlled by different entities)...
The Pop up park that was done brought in a lot of people. This park WILL be greatly used when it opens....which it will eventually be. The problem with the cost of the park is that it has a lot of piers that need to be maintained and maintaining piers and bulkheads are notoriously expensive.

As for the finances 1BPP is paying a lot of money...its full payment in lieu of real estate taxes(PILOTs)....because its J51 hasn't been granted as soon as it is the amount it pays will be exactly the same as it would as real estate taxes to the city. You can find out exactly how much by going to the meeting on Thursday.

Posted by: smeyer418 at January 28, 2009 4:57 PM

thanks mmhtph and smeyer418- I stand corrected and blushing :-)

Posted by: bxgrl at January 28, 2009 5:33 PM

« Free Rent at J Condo Open Thread »

January 28, 2009

Pols Highlight Brooklyn Bridge Park's Money Probs

Trackback Pings

Comments

Post a comment

Latest Restaurant Additions