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Plenty of Progress to Report on Fix Ups of Various Parks
Here now, a roundup of work happening at select Brooklyn parks within Community Board 2′s jurisdiction. This information courtesy of the CB2 Parks Committee. Walt Whitman Park: Construction wrapped in December and the fund balance is going toward the Cadman Park Plaza renovation, which includes fencing and repaving. 16 Sycamore Playground, at Schermerhorn and Nevins Street: after many delays, the playground equipment will be replaced next spring. The park house is being renovated and should be finished by spring. McLaughlin Park, Tillary and Jay Streets: construction on new playground, benches, game tables, drinking fountains and plantings should wrap this spring. Ft. Sterling Sitting Area, Columbia Heights and Clark Street: The Parks Department secured funds to begin repairs here next fall. They are also responding to complaints about litter in the area. Crispus Attucks, Fulton and Classon: designs to reconstruct the basketball courts are due this fall. Golconda Playground, Gold and Concord streets: The state-funded project to repair the basketball court and playground equipment should begin this summer. Squibb Park Bridge (pictured), Columbia Heights and Middagh Street: Work on the bridge should begin this month and will be completed in the summer. The skateboard section of the park is complete.
03/19/2012 11:00 AM
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You Gotta Have (Brooklyn Bridge) Park
Today the Daily News has a nice round-up of what’s in store soon and in the more distant future for Brooklyn Bridge Park. As we already know, Pier 1 and Pier 6 are already up and running. Meanwhile, work is under way at Pier 2 and Pier 5. The skinny, via the article, on Pier 2: “This summer, a new public pool will open in the upland area. Pile repairs are set to begin at the 5-acre pier this summer with construction of basketball, handball, and bocce courts, an in-line skating rink, swings and picnic tables, as well as a spiral tidal pool and boat ramp, beginning next summer and opening by fall 2013. The project is funded with part of the $55 million the city kicked in when they took over the park.” And here’s the story on Pier 5: “Construction is currently underway on Pier 5, which will include three soccer fields and a picnic peninsula with banquet-length picnic tables and barbecues. The $18 million section is set to open this fall. Park officials agreed to look for a developer for a $750,000 ‘bubble’ for indoor recreation in the winter, but no one responded to their request for proposals. Local pols and advocates are pushing them to try again, but they say they don’t currently plan to do so.” There’s no money in the coffers as of now for work on Pier 3, which is supposed to have a waterfront esplanade, or Pier 4, “a former railroad float transfer bridge that would be covered in native plant species to turn it into a protected habitat preserve, with a calm water zone for non-motorized boating.” Still, it’s going to be exciting to see how the new elements look this summer.
What’s New and What’s Planned at Brooklyn Bridge Park [NY Daily News]
Photo of Pier 5 from Brooklyn Bridge Park
03/15/2012 12:00 PM
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Bushwick Inlet Soccer Pavilion Shaping Up
The soccer field at Bushwick Inlet Park, at North 9th Street and Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, opened up a couple years ago, and now the pavilion being built for it is in the process of becoming a reality. The design of the building, which will house the North Brooklyn headquarters for the Parks Department as well as rest rooms, looks like it could be attractive if it turns out similar to what’s depicted in renderings. See one of them on the jump.
Bushwick Inlet Soccer Pavilion In The Works [Brownstoner] (more…)
02/29/2012 2:40 PM
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Brooklyn Bridge Park Getting a Pool at Pier 2 This Summer
According to the Post, a 30-by-50 above-ground pool is going to be installed at Pier 2 this summer and remain in place for 5 years. Not exactly enough to save brownstone Brooklyn from McCarren Park Pool envy, but it’s tough to imagine it not being a hit. The pool is expected to cost more than $150,000 to install. Sen. Daniel Squadron tells the paper he hasn’t given up on trying to get a permanent pool installed at the park.
Brooklyn Bridge Park Getting Pool by Pier 2 This Summer [NY Post]
Photo by the Everett Collection via Shutterstock
02/29/2012 10:00 AM
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Plan to Limit Cars to One Lane of Prospect Park Loop
The Times reports that tonight the Prospect Park Road Sharing Task Force will unveil a proposal to change the park’s loop so that one lane is for cars, one for bicyclists and one is for pedestrians. The plan would make the center lane, which is now used by cars, only for bicyclists, while the left lane would be only for pedestrians and the right lane would be for cars during the hours that the park is open to them. The city says it plans to put the changes into effect this spring, and the task force conducted a study indicating that the change would only add a six- or seven-second delay to the trip for car drivers during the morning rush. Still, Emily Lloyd, who is the president of the Prospect Park Alliance and heads up the task force, said she expects “a harsh reaction” to the proposal from drivers. As the Times notes, the plan comes “in response to a series of collisions between pedestrians and cyclists, and amid growing rancor over how to balance the interests of the 10 million people who crowd into Prospect Park each year.”
Changes Planned for Prospect Park Loop [NY Times]
Photo by joefenstermaker
02/28/2012 9:00 AM
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Closing Bell: Prospect Park Roadsharing Meeting
Tomorrow night Prospect Park’s Road Sharing Taskforce will have a meeting to discuss its recommendations for making the park’s drives safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. The taskforce includes reps from city agencies, such as the DOT and the Parks Dept., in addition to a number of people who belong to neighborhood groups like the Prospect Park Community Committee and cycling and running groups. Today the Brooklyn Paper reported that the DOT has removed traffic cones it installed on West Park Drive as a measure to try and prevent bike-ped accidents and the “street will remain cone-free until the city gets more feedback on how to fix the treacherous slope.” The meeting is taking place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the park’s Picnic House.
Photo by FrnkSmth
02/27/2012 4:00 PM
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How a Section of the Bush Terminal Pier Park Looks Now
A Sunset Park resident sent us a link to a blog that recently ran a photo set showing the current state of the long-in-the-making Bush Terminal Pier Park is looking these days. As the caption for the photo above notes, it’s “already possible to get a sense of how lovely” the park will be. As we covered a couple weeks ago, the park will be built out on the waterfront between 43rd and 51st streets.
Sunset Park-Bush Terminal [Castles Made of Sand]
New Renderings for Bush Terminal Pier Park [Brownstoner]
Big-Money Clean-Up for Bush Terminal Piers [Brownstoner]
Sunset Park Waterfront Vision Plan Announced [Brownstoner]
ETAs on Some of Brooklyn’s Waterfront Projects [Brownstoner]
Photo via Castles Made of Sand
02/21/2012 12:00 PM
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City Has Spent $140K Defending the PPW Bike Lane
Here’s a sad stat, via the Brooklyn Paper: The city has already spent $140,000 in legal fees defending the Prospect Park West bike lane, and that amount is sure to rise as the city defends the lane in an appeal that was recently filed by residents who are against it. Quote from cycling advocate: “It’s an outrage. …[The appeal] is not going to change the outcome; they’re just trying to make more noise.” Quote from Jim Walden, the lawyer representing the group that’s filed the appeal, on questioning the validity of the appeal: “This is America. Get real.”
Defending the Prospect Park West Bike Lane Isn’t Cheap [BK Paper]
02/21/2012 9:30 AM
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Closing Bell: City Looking to Ice Over McCarren Park Pool
Brooklyn 11211 points out that the city has issued an RFP for prospective operators of a seasonal ice skating rink at McCarren Park Pool. Here’s the official word from the city on what’s being sought: “Parks is seeking proposals for the development, operation, and maintenance of a high quality, outdoor, seasonal ice rink at the McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn. Unless otherwise approved by Parks, the seasonal ice rink may only be operated for a single, continuous period between October 15 and March 30 (‘Ice Rink Season’) during each year of the License term. The concession must include a seasonal ice rink, skate rental and sharpening. The concession may include a pro shop and up to three (3) Mobile Food Units.” The schematic above, from the RFP, shows a possible lay out for the rink above the pool deck, and the document says the maximum estimated dimensions for it are around 80 feet by 125 feet. The revamped pool is supposed to be ready for swimmers this summer.
02/13/2012 4:00 PM
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Fort Greene Park Renovation Plan Revealed
On the heels of the exciting news that $2.55 million had been officially approved for the renovation of Fort Greene Park, we’ve got a copy of the site plan for the project along with some more details. The renovation is focused on the Willoughby entrance to the park. As the plan shows, the stairs will be rebuilt and a new ADA ramp will be installed, making stroller and disabled access easier. A variety of water control features – engineered (bioswales, cisterns and other) and organic (understory plantings)- will be installed in the circle adjacent to the Willoughby entrance within the park; this will mitigate the flow of water from the height of the park around the monument to the sidewalk outside and eliminate the pooling there. A curb bumpout will be built to improve pedestrian safety and the aesthetics of the entrance by giving pedestrians crossing from the park to Willoughby improved visibility and by eliminating parking directly in front of the entrance. The pavers along Washington Park will be leveled and reset. There will also be 9 new benches around the circle, which will add more seating capacity and help to harmonize the furniture in the park.
All good! Congrats to the Fort Greene Park Conservancy for their relentless (and effective!) advocacy. There’s a community listening session scheduled for February 29th from 6 to 8 pm at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford Street. To get a bigger look at the plan, click here.
Fort Greene Park Renovation a Go! [Brownstoner]
Rendering courtesy of Nancy Owens Studio LLC
02/10/2012 9:30 AM
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Inside the New(ish) Brooklyn Bridge Park Offices
After a couple of years of camping out in a construction trailer, the folks in charge of building and operating Brooklyn Bridge Park finally moved into new offices in the old Building 50 at the corner of Furman and Joralemon Streets last November. Our poor photography skills probably don’t do it justice, but the million-dollar renovation of the 7,500-square-foot ground floor (which the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation shares with the Conservancy) created a really beautiful workspace–high ceilings, clean lines, modern but inviting at the same time. The two upper floors remain for the time being in their original state. We’ve provided lots o’ photos on the jump because the offices are not open to the public.
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02/08/2012 10:32 AM
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Cyclone Renovation Underway in Coney Island
We haven’t seen the Cyclone renovation documented anywhere else so even though this video’s almost a month old we thought it was worth sharing. Flickr user theoccasionalfag has a set of photos up from just a couple of weeks ago if you want to delve further. According to this post from Amusement Today, Zamperla has hired Great Coasters International, Inc. to do the rehab. Everyone’s shooting for the famous coaster to be back in business by April 1, 2012.
02/07/2012 11:04 AM
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Fort Greene Park Renovation a Go!
As The Local reported yesterday, a $2.55 million renovation of Fort Greene Park has been green lighted and is set to begin in the next three months or so. The news was delivered by Marty Maher, the Parks Department’s Brooklyn chief of staff, at last week’s Fort Greene Park Conservancy board meeting. The plan calls for work to begin on the public bathroom later this spring with extensive landscaping and drainage work to follow in the fall. It’s expected that the work will address much, but not all, of the flooding issues that have plagued the park in recent years. There will be a chance for community input regarding future park improvements at a meeting at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church on February 29th at 6 p.m.
Park Rehab Means Good-Bye To ‘Fort Greene Falls [NYT/Local]
Photo by Ed Brydon
02/07/2012 9:00 AM
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New Renderings for Bush Terminal Pier Park
Remember the Bush Terminal Pier Park? Public space project was first announced in 2005, when the city, state and federal government teamed up on a $36 million rehab of the polluted former port between 43rd and 51st Streets in Sunset Park. Here’s a description from the EDC’s Sunset Park Vision Plan, which was announced in July 2009:
The conceptual design for the open space improvements includes the construction of two multi-use baseball and soccer fields, viewing areas for restored and remediated tidal pools, a naturalized preserve area, and future space for a mini-golf and batting cage concession. The design also includes administrative and operational space designed in collaboration with the Department of Parks & Recreation. In keeping with the City’s policy to encourage sustainable practices, several environmentally-conscious design elements are being considered, including on-site stormwater retention, wind turbines, solar power, the reuse of existing on- and off-site materials such as granite blocks from the existing street, and the use of shipping containers as building materials.
This weekend an excited Sunset Park resident sent in a photo from the top of 47th Street of the public space starting to take shape. It’s a little hard for us to distinguish what’s going on, but luckily the tipster also steered to a set of renderings from Adrian Smith Landscape Architecture that helps flesh out where this whole thing is headed.
Big-Money Clean-Up for Bush Terminal Piers [Brownstoner]
Sunset Park Waterfront Vision Plan Announced [Brownstoner]
ETAs on Some of Brooklyn’s Waterfront Projects [Brownstoner]
02/06/2012 10:30 AM
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Envisioning a New Park by the Navy Yard
Architect’s Newspaper has an update on the plans to turn a former cemetery at the Navy Yard into a 1.7-acre park. The project, which has been dubbed the Navy Yard Hospital Memorial Landscape, is being built out by the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative at Williamsburg Street West and Kent Avenue. Here’s the description of how it’s supposed to turn out: “the site will be accessible to the public through a series of raised wooden walkways that will lead visitors around cement mooring blocks, stones, and native plantings that tie into the historical and material language of the waterfront, according to Vince Lee, project manager at [Rogers Marvel Architects]. Stone gabion ‘mattresses’ serve as footings for the walkway, which circumvents the location of former graves located in the center of the site. In honor of those formerly buried beside the hospital, steel frames proportionate to the size of burial plots will be constructed and elevated a few feet off the existing grade.” The space, which is being designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects and Rogers Marvel Architects, might be finished by summer 2013. On the jump, another rendering and a plot diagram for the project.
Brooklyn Navy Yard Design Honors Former Cemetery [Architect's Newspaper]
All images courtesy of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (more…)
01/31/2012 11:00 AM
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Slope Park Looking Spiffy
The amount of work that’s been completed at Park Slope’s J.J. Byrne Playground is starting to impress. Work began over last spring on the playground’s renovation, which involves setting up distinct play areas for kids of different ages and new, adult-themed spaces like a seating area with a cafe table. Since then a ton of new play equipment has been installed. Work is scheduled to finish this summer. Click through for a couple more shots.
Slope Park Overhaul in Progress [Brownstoner]
J.J. Byrne Playground Revamp Starts This Week [Brownstoner]
J.J. Byrne Reno To Start Next Month [Brownstoner]
Plans for J.J. Byrne Park Revealed [Brownstoner] GMAP (more…)
01/26/2012 12:00 PM
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The Hot Seat: Regina Myer
Welcome to the Hot Seat, where we interview folks involved in Brooklyn real estate, architecture, development and the like. Introducing Regina Myer, president of Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation.
Brownstoner: What neighborhood do you live in and how did you end up there?
Regina Myer: I have lived in Park Slope since 1991–my family loves it and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. We ended up there after visiting friends — on the way back to Manhattan, we wondered out loud, “Why aren’t we moving to Brooklyn?”
BS: Can you quickly give us an update on all things Brooklyn Bridge Park? Where does the park stand right now?
RM: 2011 was a wonderful year for the park—we opened the park in Dumbo as well as Jane’s Carousel, which has already become a fantastic and beloved amenity. Summer programming was also great—in partnership with the Conservancy and others, there was a thorough range of activities from field tours, music, movies, science and chess. And we just installed our first temporary art in the park with Mark Di Suvero’s “Yoga” at Pier 1, a sublime sculpture which provides a terrific counterpoint to the beauty of the Bridge.
2012 is also going to be great. We have just begun construction of Pier 5 and the Squibb Park Bridge, two projects which will provide active playing fields, picnic areas and a direct connection to the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood and its subway stations. We also plan to select a developer for the Pier 1 Hotel and residential project, which will be a major milestone in solidifying the park’s financial plan.
After the jump, Regina talks about the balance between public and private, transforming underutilized open space and all her favorite spots in the borough.
(more…)
01/23/2012 11:00 AM
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Plans Surface for Carroll Gardens Dog Run Upgrades
Last night the Parks Department made a presentation to the CB6 parks committee on improvements planned for the DiMattina Playground dog run on Hicks and Hamilton streets. Upgrades to the run have been in the works for a long time. The plan calls for resurfacing the run. In addition, there’s supposed to be new lighting, fencing around all trees, flowering shrubs, new benches, drainage in the park, two doggie and two human drinking fountains, two spigots and a small storage box for tools like rakes. More than a year ago Councilman Brad Lander and Borough President Marty Markowitz allocated $450,000 for renovations, but no additional funding has come through since then. Some of the upgrades to the park are still dependent on how much more money the Parks Department can secure from elected officials. Last night the committee didn’t make a final decision on the type of gravel to be used for resurfacing the run, but the Parks Department rep urged a decision as soon as possible, saying the project is waiting to go into contract and “we don’t want the funds to get cut.” There was no word on an actual time line for the run’s construction since funding isn’t completely secured. Ultimately CB6 approved the improvements with plans to decide on the gravel type ASAP.
01/19/2012 12:00 PM
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Closing Bell: Waterfront Park Planned for Columbia Street
Tomorrow night the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative and Regional Plan Association are having a meeting about the public park planned for Columbia Street between Degraw and Kane streets. Preliminary renderings are going to be released, and judging from the one above, a dog run might be in the mix. Work can begin on the park once the Van Brunt Street reconstruction and the Gowanus Flushing Tunnel construction are complete, which is probably still a couple of years away. The meeting is taking place tomorrow night at the Union Street Star Theater, 101 Union Street, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. More info and how to RSVP here.
Columbia Waterfront Park Report-Back Meeting [BGI]
Columbia Waterfront Park Meeting 1/18 [Cobble Hill Association via McBrooklyn]
01/17/2012 4:00 PM
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panyl
May 21, 2012 | 02:16 PM