City Looking to Take Over Brooklyn Bridge Park from State
New York State’s fiscal crisis may have created an opportunity for the City to take control of two public projects, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Governors Island, reports The Brooklyn Paper. Mayor Bloomberg dropped the bomb at a press briefing yesterday: “We’ve proposed to the state the city take over management and financial responsibility for Brooklyn…
New York State’s fiscal crisis may have created an opportunity for the City to take control of two public projects, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Governors Island, reports The Brooklyn Paper. Mayor Bloomberg dropped the bomb at a press briefing yesterday: “We’ve proposed to the state the city take over management and financial responsibility for Brooklyn Bridge Park and Governors Island, and use monies that we’ve already put aside that had been scheduled to be used for Javits.” (The City and State approved a much-reduced plan for the new Javits recently, freeing up $300 million.) The City has been in negotiations with the State since January, according to The Times, though a spokesperson for Paterson said that the talks haven’t reached a resolution. One possible result, says The Paper, is that Brooklyn Bridge Park would be able to move ahead without the private financing originally slated to come from the condos in the park; The Daily News, however, says that the shift in control would not take the condos off the table. Interesting times.
Mayor to take over Brooklyn Bridge Park? [Brooklyn Paper]
City Will Move to Take Control of BB Park from State [NY Daily News]
Bloomberg Grabbing for Governors Island, BBP [NY Observer]
A Warning on Governors Island Funds [NY Times]
Dogs would be allowed in the park – that would be great.
BHO–are you taking an anti-park position here? That would seem to be a losing hand for you.
I do think that the Brooklyn Paper condo comment was wishful thinking. In fact I think that the City’s takeover if anything means they want to move now on this and get the residential stuff built although it might wind up as rentals. The State has been nothing but an impediment in getting things done there. The fact that Benepe was allowed to make the presentation speaks on what the city thought of it. The Parks Department would prefer a dedicated stream of funding that it could use for parks anywhere(much like the money from Battery Park City is used anywhere on the Hudson including the Hyline). The parks department budget is being cut what better way no to have to deal with it in the future but to assure a dedicated stream of funding. The anti development parks people have had a friendly ear in the state parks department(which has cut out the BBPark Conservancy)…so the city moving in bodes well for development and a dedicated stream IMO(I have no inside information BTW)…
[splash]
***Bid half off peak comps***
I’m sure that the Brooklyn Paper completely made up the notion that this change in ownership could affect the condo plans. Wasn’t it only about 5 weeks ago that City Parks Commissioner Benepe got up at a public meeting and wholeheartedly endorsed the park’s funding scheme? DOn’t you think that this neogtiation between the City and the State was going on while the that was happening? I see n oreason why that wold change.
Unfortunately the Brooklyn papers has no credibility when it comes to reporting on the this park. Their basic philosophy seems to be that if they repeat the lie that the park is in trouble often enough, it will become true. Meanwhile, I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge this morning, which gave me a clear view of the truckloads of dirt that have been brought in over the past week to create the new landscape at pier 1. It’s actually happening – right sam?