Community Members Envision Future of McCarren Park's Asphalt Lot

by Brennan LaBrie, Brooklyn Paper

Dog runs, tennis courts, grass fields, picnic benches, and a playground. These are some of the amenities that could comprise a new park where the asphalt lot at McCarren Park currently sits.

Last year, Council Member Lincoln Restler secured $14.7 million to transform the lot from cracked asphalt to green parkland, with help from Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, city hall, and other elected officials representing North Brooklyn.

Community members got their first chance to weigh in on the park’s future on May 7, at a virtual workshop held by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Over 325 people joined to express their hopes for the open space.

Out of hundreds of comments left in the meeting’s chat, three requests rose above the rest: A new dog run, more tennis courts, and open green space.

Luckily for the dog owners in the meeting, a dog run is the one amenity guaranteed for the new park, as Restler secured $1 million for one in 2022 as part of his District 33 Dog Run Plan. He said the current 10,000-square-foot dog run in McCarren Park is insufficient for the dog population in District 33, which, according to his office, has three times as many dogs as the city average.

“I think part of the reason that we see so many dogs running through the fields and, frankly, ruining our grass, is because we don’t have an adequate dog run in McCarren,” Restler said. “If we were to have dedicated, appropriate space for dogs, it would actually make the rest of the park better for everyone else to enjoy.”

Members of the advocacy group McCarren Dog Run Allies were well-represented in the meeting, and called for a 30,000-square-foot dog run, which would take up about 30 percent of the lot. While some attendees pushed for open space that prioritizes humans over dogs, others pointed to the human and environmental benefits of dedicated dog space.

“A modernized dog run acts as a buffer that protects the rest of McCarren Park,” said Dmitry Traytel, a member of McCarren Dog Run Allies, adding that it not only protects lawns from wear and waste, but also adds green space and contributes to a major goal of the new park: stormwater capture.

A major stormwater tank is the other feature set in stone for the new park. The tank, which Restler said can capture up to 2.5 inches of rain at a time, will combine with another one planned under the McCarren Greenmarket on Union Street to hold over 200,000 gallons of stormwater, Restler said.

The whole renovation project started with a goal to curb the flood risk at McCarren Park, which sits on historic marshland, Restler said.

“The best way to manage storm water and to mitigate flooding is to not try to fight nature, but to build the green infrastructure where water wants to go,” he said. “This is going to make a major difference. But we didn’t want to just build great infrastructure and then repave a lot — we wanted to figure out how to make this an awesome park space.”

This is where community input comes in. Attendees at the meeting advocated for a basketball court, a new playground, and grass lawn where nobody has to worry about being hit with errant softballs.

But the most popular request was for more tennis courts, with many attendees describing a demand that has far exceeded the seven courts adjacent to the asphalt lot.

“It’s like the Hunger Games to get a court,” said Cristy Turner, who said she sees lines forming outside them as early as 5:30 a.m. While she sees a need for at least a dozen more courts, she hopes for at least two to be included in the redesign plan.

Others pushed back on the idea of more courts, instead calling for open space that can accommodate more than a few people at a time while also absorbing rainwater.

“A giant dog run really benefits everyone more than having a few more tennis courts,” said Gregory Frank, calling insufficient space for dog runs “a community health issue.”

Turner envisions room for more courts, a dog run, and more. Others shared this viewpoint too.

“I think this could be a great multipurpose site where dogs, tennis players, pickleballers and anyone else looking for just a green space outside to get out of our tiny apartments can hang,” said Anastasia Folorunso. “I think it can all fit.”

Reynoso, who plays soccer and football on the asphalt and committed $2 million to its renovation, called the space “deeply meaningful” to him.

“When you look at this field, you just know there’s so much more that we could be doing. And I’m excited to be a part of it,” he said.

Community input will be incorporated into a design that NYC Parks will present to Community Board 1 before the end of the year, said NYC Parks’ Paul Kidonakis.

The design phase usually takes 10 to 15 months, finding a contractor can take another year, and construction will take an additional 12 to 18 months, Kidonakis added.

Community members have three more weeks to send input to bkspecialevents@parks.nyc.gov, or a forthcoming link on nycgovparks.org/reg/community-input-meetings.

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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