Report: Brooklyn Bridge Park Needs $250 Million to Fix Crumbling Piers

Brooklyn Bridge Park has released a report calling for $90 million to repair its wooden piers using money generated by two proposed and controversial residential towers at Pier 6.

Much of Brooklyn Bridge Park’s 85 acres are supported by a network of 13,000 wooden piles, built over 50 years ago and deeply entrenched in the East River. They’re being eaten away by mollusks and crustaceans.

The park has been shoring up the piles one by one using concrete, but the report says the park can save $84 million if it covers them all at once using a protective epoxy. It would cost more up front, however — $90 million.

Naturally, the controversial luxury housing development proposed for Pier 6 would be required to finance the preventative maintenance. The project would generate some $100 million for the park, but block waterfront views, increase density and give over more of the park to buildings, according to detractors.

Local groups have been fighting the residential towers’ construction for years. Last week, activist group People for Green Space Foundation (PFGSF) said a July financial report commissioned by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corp. to demonstrate the need for the revenue-generating towers was inaccurate and misleading.

In addition to neighborhood residents, city officials are also up in arms about Pier 6 development. Council Member Steve Levin commented on the park’s plan for preventative maintenance in an interview with NY1 back in August, saying that while it is a good plan, it’s not clear that yet more waterfront luxury towers are needed to fund it.

Brooklyn Bridge Park then said, “Well, what we’d really like to do is do preventative maintenance,” which is great, but to then make that the new rationale for the development…I don’t know if this is the right way.

No matter how much trouble community groups and officials give to developers, however, Pier 6 is likely to be built. The developers have been selected, and the development is as of right, meaning it can proceed without further ado.

The only uncertainty about the construction is whether or not the park’s charter will be amended to allow the affordable units Mayor de Blasio wants included in the towers.

[Source: Crain’s | Renderings: ODA Architecture | Photos: Barbara Eldredge]

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