Observer » Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation

Brooklyn Bridge Park Foes Lose Appeal to Block Project

Eliot Brown — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:05:43 -0400

A state appellate court has tossed out an appeal to block the planned Brooklyn Bridge Park, removing a potential obstacle for the 85-acre project slated to rise along the Brooklyn waterfront.

The decision, which came earlier this week, marks a defeat for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund, which has vehemently opposed the creation of new housing on the parkland’s edge in order to finance the maintenance.

Many hurdles remain: the planned parkland, on the drawing boards for well over a decade, is substantially over budget given the increase in construction costs, and no sources have been identified to cover the shortfall. Further, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation is resisting the concept of floating walkways that run through the park, as the agency is concerned about effects the structures could have on marine life.

The Defense Fund expects to appeal to the Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state.

Release from the Defense Fund below.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund Vows to Fight Appellate Court's OK of Housing In Parks

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund’s law suit to prohibit private housing inside Brooklyn Bridge Park was dismissed by the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court in a decision dated April 22, and released April 24.

“This is obviously a sad day for all public parks,” said Judi Francis, President of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund and one of the individuals who filed the original Article 78 suit. “The judges failed to recognize that the private housing - placed directly within the borders of Brooklyn Bridge Park - will privatize the park and limit public access and enjoyment. Year-round active recreation has already been stripped from the park plan due to its proximity to the proposed housing."

Ms. Francis explained that "the Public Trust doctrine protects dedicated (and to be dedicated) public parks from encroachment by private uses. That is clearly stated in the 1920 decision and has been re-stated over and over again by New York's highest court. The judges did not address this critical issue of private encroachment of residential housing in Brooklyn Bridge Park. We will appeal to the higher court on that basis.”
The once active park was redesigned to satisfy the interests of park-dwellers. A 180 berth yachting marina, passive wetlands and floating walkways have replaced the swimming pools, ice-skating rink, baseball diamonds, and year-round sports field house that were in the original park plan, before housing was considered for the park. There are few destinations and limited access to draw people of all ages to the park.

Bob Stone, Treasurer of the BBP Defense Fund and a co-petitioner said, “We worked for decades to create a grand park only to have it designated a "development project" at the 11th hour and handed over to real estate developers for private housing. At stake is the future of all public parks. If a portion of a park can be carved out for housing, then developers will likely want the "park" to be designed in a way that maximizes its appeal to the residents even if that conflicts with the needs of the general public. The Public Trust Doctrine was intended to protect public land not green light residential housing in public parks.”

"Public parks are a public amenity that must not be dependent on residential and commercial development within the park,"said Ken Baer, past Chair of the New York State Chapter of the Sierra Club, whose organization filed an amicus curiae in support of the Park Defense Fund. "The tragedy of Brooklyn Bridge Park is that, in the community’s effort to get a park, it agreed that funds could be derived from park-related activities to help pay for on-going park expenses. It was on that slippery slope of offering to “help pay” for some of the park’s expenses that this park was then “required” to pay not only for on-going expenses but for long-term capital expenses. An offer to “help pay” became an edict to pay for everything, in perpetuity. As public amenities, parks must not be required to bear the burden of self-sustainment.”

Planner Swap: Brooklyn Bridge Park Ex-President Takes Successor’s City Job

Eliot Brown — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:44:02 -0400

The former president of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation has swapped jobs with her successor, taking a position with the city.

In late November, the state appointed as BBPDC president Regina Myer, the senior vice president for planning and design at the city-run Hudson Yards Development Corporation (we have more on Brooklyn Bridge Park in today’s paper). The position had been vacant for about eight months following the Spitzer administration’s dismissal of Wendy Leventer, who led the agency in the Pataki administration.

Ms. Leventer, who crafted the self-sustaining park model at Brooklyn Bridge Park (which is to be maintained with tax revenues from new condos to be developed in the site), has already started her new job (Ms. Meyer's old job) as senior vice president for planning and design at HYDC, a city spokesman confirmed.

Today’s Brooklyn Papers

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 12:21:59 -0400

The Duffield Street Houses.

Some interesting articles in The Brooklyn Papers:

Mayor Bloomberg is set to appoint a new development czar for downtown Brooklyn--sources say it's Joe Chan, a chief advisor to Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff.

City Council member David Yassky is demanding a 90-day stay in the demoliton of the Duffield Street houses, which were believed to have served as a station on the Underground Railroad. Developers want to turn the property into a parking lot; haven't they heard of campaign contributions?

There is no crime wave in Prospect Park. Let the cruising continue!

Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz mugs for the camera ... again. Oh yeah, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation got the title to a mile of waterfront, too.

Bruce Ratner gets to tear down buildings that he's alrady torn down!

Pedestrian- and bicycle-advocacy stalwarts Transportation Alternatives is trying to find ... well, alternatives to Grand Army Plaza's traffic circle of death.

-Matthew Grace

O.E.M. Out, Ice-Skating In

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:20:36 -0400

11 Water Street, under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Yesterday the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the demolition of 11 Water Street, an Art Deco two-story warehouse built in 1936, to make room for the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Demolition of the building will begin next year.

According to a spokesman for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, the land will be used for a plaza in the summer and an ice-skating rink in the winter. The demolition of the park is necessary because it bifurcates the northern and southern ends of the park; once removed, the parkland will be continuous.

The two-story building is currently the home of the New York City Office of Emergency Management, the same agency that had to be evacuated on Sept. 11, 2001. It's curious that the O.E.M. moved out of the frying pan (the W.T.C.) and into the fire (just beneath the Brooklyn Bridge!--weren't the terrorists planning to blowtorch that?).

We've got a call out to the O.E.M. to see what its plans are for moving. Let's hope it's somewhere away from any obvious terrorist targets.

-Matthew Grace

PS: We're having blog problems today. Comments aren't available for now, but we're trying to fix it up. Patience!

When Brooklyn Bridge Park? Soon!

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 11:01:22 -0400

Pier 2, looking on lower Manhattan.

The Post is reporting that Brooklyn Bridge Park, which won't be completed till 2010 (if ever), might just open up to the public as soon as this spring. Well, some of it anyway. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation is considering opening Pier 2, and they're asking the public for suggestions.

But what does "open to the public" really mean? Will there be grass? Trees? Or just concrete? And how the heck are people going to get there?

(via Brownstoner)

-Matthew Grace