Brooklyn Bridge Park Meeting: The Morning After
What had been billed as an opportunity to solicit public input about the future of Brooklyn Bridge Park last night became a chance for area residents and other stakeholders to vent their frustration at the lack of progress and communication over the past couple of years. The Empire State Development Corp’s newly appointed head of…
What had been billed as an opportunity to solicit public input about the future of Brooklyn Bridge Park last night became a chance for area residents and other stakeholders to vent their frustration at the lack of progress and communication over the past couple of years. The Empire State Development Corp’s newly appointed head of the park project, longtime Brooklyn City Planning head Regina Myer (right), got an earful on her the public appearance in her new role. We have not been included. We certainly have a stake, David Walentas, the biggest property owner in the area, said. A bigger stake than anyone. And, of course, the contentious issue of allowing the construction of more than 1,200 condo units within the park to help fund its development reared its head: Judi Francis, of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund (which has sued the ESDC over the issue), charged that the skating rink and swimming pools that the public wanted had been axed from the plan to make the park more of a “lawn” for the condos. The landscape designer for the project also weighed in, emphasizing that the park would have a more water-focused orientation than most. We’re not just walking, strolling, promenading. We’re actively in the water, getting wet, said Matt Urbanski of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. We got the message from the community: This is a waterfront park. Did any readers attend? We were busy celebrating our—ouch!—38th birthday.
Angry Residents Blast BBP Planning [Metro]
Park Stalled, New Leader May Spur Building [NY Daily News]
Brooklyn Bridge Park Gets New President [Brooklyn Eagle]
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Your Input, Please [Brownstoner]
Stakeholders in a public park are not real estate developers. Walentas has investments at risk not his quality of life.
The body of water there is more the bay than the river, but regardless of whether one is aqua-phobic or not, the park will be nice. The pool lady was nice, it will be the same thing but more so. What I don’t get is why some folks are opposed to this. My only explanation is that they are afraid that black folks are going to use the park and walk by their houses. Racism is the only possible explanation. Who is afraid of condos in Brooklyn? That is like being afraid of gondolas in Venice. This whole big manufacturing wasteland is being turned mostly into a park -what the hell is a problem with that? To make it even better for tax payers, the upkeep of the park will be paid by the folks who live on the other side of the BQE including the huge old manufacturing building previously known as 360 Furman and a couple of new buildings.
They will pay for the upkeep, we will not have to. What is the problem there?
Why do people who live in brownstones with no water views worry about losing water views? Again it has to be all about race and keeping people out. Being against a new park is really taking NYMBY-ism to a new extreme.
He has the most property and thus, the most to lose.
You may not like him, but if he would have been in charge it would have been designed pretty well and done. More restored carosels and less chelsea piers crap!
Someone please explain to me how Walentas has a bigger stake than anyone else in a public park?
who on earth wants to “get wet” in the east river? thanks Matt Urbanski — great idea! I wouldn’t let my dog in the east river.
Happy Birthday to you! Great site.
Happy Birthday, Mr. B!
“…Judi Francis, of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund (which has sued the ESDC over the issue)….” Shouldn’t that be ‘sued and was summarily dismissed?’ I mean, shouldn’t the fact that a party had no case be the defining factor, not the mere filing of papers?
You’re only 38? Happy bday!