Pols Highlight Brooklyn Bridge Park's Money Probs
More grim news on the Brooklyn Bridge Park front: Money shortages are likely to delay the completion of the park. In a joint statement released yesterday, all the politicians representing this stretch of the Brooklyn waterfront (Markowitz, Velazquez, Millman, De Blasio and Yassky) struck an ominous chord in anticipation of tomorrow night’s public meeting to…
More grim news on the Brooklyn Bridge Park front: Money shortages are likely to delay the completion of the park. In a joint statement released yesterday, all the politicians representing this stretch of the Brooklyn waterfront (Markowitz, Velazquez, Millman, De Blasio and Yassky) struck an ominous chord in anticipation of tomorrow night’s public meeting to disclose the financial status of the project: The private development that was to fund much of the park is on hold indefinitely and (though the first phase is expected to proceed as planned), they said, No other public source for maintenance and operations expenses is available, and in these tough economic times, we do not believe these funds will come from government sources. The current estimate for the park’s construction is $346 million, says the post, but only $231 million has ben budgeted. In addition to the development shortfall, the park is estimated to cost $16.1 million a year to maintain, a per-acre cost second only to Manhattan’s Bryant Park. In light of the new challenges facing the park, the officials called for the reconstitution of the Community Advisory Council. The public meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. at the Dibner Auditorium, NYU-Polytechnic University, 5 Metrotech Center. Full press release on the jump.
Is Most of BBP Being Put to Sleep for Now? [Curbed]
$16M a Year for Planned B’klyn Park [NY Post]
Photo by runtoline
JOINT STATEMENT ON BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK FROM CONGRESSWOMAN
VELÃZQUEZ, BP MARKOWITZ, ASSEMBLYWOMAN MILLMAN, COUNCIL MEMBERS
DE BLASIO AND YASSKY
On Monday, January 26, the elected officials who represent the Brooklyn Waterfront met with Regina Myer, president of the Brooklyn Bridge Development Corporation, representatives from the Empire State Development Corporation and NYC Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe regarding the public release on Thursday, January 29, of the current financial status for Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman, and Council Members Bill de Blasio and David Yassky issued the following statement:
The first phase of construction of Brooklyn Bridge Park, a partnership between the City and State, is officially underway. The first phase includes Pier 1 and portions of Pier 6 and is expected to be open to the public by the end of the year. This will bring our long awaited dream of Brooklyn Bridge Park to fruition. Our commitment to this park is in response to longstanding public support and a desire for parkland and waterfront access at this site.
The 2002 Memorandum of Understanding between City and State established the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation (BBPDC) as a partnership between the City and State of New York. It created a unique framework to develop and maintain the park, and requires the park to be financially self- sustaining. There was strong public participation in the development of this framework and park design, and we know this participation will continue with the future operations and programming of the park. That is why we are calling for the reconstitution of the Community Advisory Council as soon as possible to ensure public participation.
After a long public planning process, it was determined that maintenance and operation costs would be covered by revenues generated from a limited number of development sites. After extensive analysis, BBPDC determined that residential and hotel development would be the most appropriate way to provide the necessary revenue using the least amount of the project’s land. No other public source for maintenance and operations expenses is available, and in these tough economic times, we do not believe these funds will come from government sources.
Of equal importance is the public’s ability to depend on government to protect our open space resources. But we first asked that the open space be created, and that is exactly what the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation is doing. We ask that the City created are protected in perpetuity.
Lastly, we would like to commend the BBPDC and Regina Myer for their hard work and transparency in opening the books to the public. We also encourage everyone to attend the public meeting on Thursday, January 29, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Dibner Auditorium, NYU-Polytechnic University, 5 Metrotech Center.
CONTACTS:
Mark Zustovich, Brooklyn BP, 718-802-3830; mzustovich@brooklynbp.nyc.gov
Paul Nelson, Assemblymember Millman’s Office, 718-246-4889; nelsonp@assembly.state.ny.us
I loved the floating pool. It cost $28 per swim and that didn’t include the circulating bus that was paid for by a grant that Nydia Velasquez arranged for(this figure comes from the NY parks department Brooklyn commissioner). The Park’s construction is under way and by 2010 you will have a sizable piece to use. The people who want more activity in the park really want nothing at all. The park will be built. Additional portions of it may take some time. There will be housing and a hotel. Battery Park City pays for the Hudson River and east river parks so the model is not something unusual.
by the way. The portion of the Navy Yard that has detoriated the most…the row housing…has always been under the control of the Defense department it wasn’t turn over to the Navy Yard….
I’m also a grown-up working person with a family, and I’m quite excited about the “sliver park.” My young children already love to play in the green space in the small parks down near DUMBO (what would be the end of the “sliver park”), and I’m perfectly willing to keep parking my very old, barely used car on the street like I do now so that I and my family can enjoy more parkland within walking distance.
I live in BH and also want the park to be completed and although I have a car, do not want a parking lot. I would imagine that the BBPC is coming up with some alternate designs that would not be as expensive as the original…similar to what we have seen proposed at Atlantic Yards. For example, take out the kayak center,etc, and save it for another time.
parking vs a waterfront park? seriously?
i hope to one day walk my kids to this park and leave my car parked on the street, rather than pile them in the car and drive to prospect park.
if this ever gets finished, it will be a truly great thing for our neighborhoods.
And another thing: I find it interesting that the person who’s bascialy been saying “If I ran the Navy Yard all the hisotric buildngs would be renovated, and If I ran BB Park it would be built by now” is accusing ME of having a superiority complex. If you’re looking for someone with a superiority complex, i’d suggest you see out the nearest mirror, my friend.
I live in Brooklyn Heights, very much want this park to become a reality, and am not bothered one whit by the idea that housing within the park would be expected to pay for it. And I’m even a real grown-up person with a family.
No superiority complex. I just take the time to actually look into these issues to understand what’s going on before I criticize. There’s nothing special about that – anyone could do it sam – even you. You just choose not to. I understand that large public works project are complex beasts (way more complicated than private development because of the multiple constituancies) and take time and energy to come to fruition. So rather than sit back and lob verbal bombs, I dig into the issue. And what I have found, more often than not, is that often projects that look stalled are actually going forward, and decisions that look incompehensible on their face are actually sound decisions based the existing conditions. There are still really dumb things that happen, and I don’t hesitate to call those out when I see them. The financial model for Governor’s Island for example, seems doomed to fail. Atlantic Yards was not handled correctly, and the fulton street transit center in lower manhattan is one of the biggest screw ups I’ve seen in a long time. Coney Island looks like it’s in the crapper, although I haven’t taken the time to look into it, and I suspect that that is another example of there being more going on than meets the eye.
Life is not as black and white, not as simple as the NY Post would lead you to believe sam.
A sound, rational response, Nancy. Wish we could hear more of these from other Municipal Departments.
MTA???? Hellllloooooooo????
It is hardly grim news that Brooklyn Bridge Park has nearly $100 million in contracts signed, construction has begun on Pier 1 and parts of Pier 6, and 9.5 acres of new parkland will open by the end of this year.
True, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation has said that they’re postponing issuing RFPs for the remaining residential and hotel development pieces that will pay for the park’s maintenance and operations. This is a prudent response to current market conditions, not an abandonment of the parks financial model.
In fact, the park’s largest single residential building, One Brooklyn Bridge Park, is already paying its share of park maintenance funds, and those funds will support the park’s maintenance in its initial years.
Brooklyn Bridge Park has always been visionary and, while it has certainly taken longer to begin and will cost more than we hoped, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy believes the community’s 22-year commitment to a self-sustaining park, with an independent funding stream, is wiser than ever.
Once the real estate market recovers, seventy six acres of open space will be sustained by less than 4 acres of new construction for housing, a great deal for the people of the City of New York.
We urge all who are interested in learning more about the park’s financial model to attend the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation’s upcoming public meeting on Thursday, January 29 at 6:00 pm, Dibner Auditorium, NYU-Polytechnic University, 5 Metrotech Center.
Thank you,
Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy