http://www.planNYC.org/ PlanNYC | New York City Planning Information Portal en-us ja3n@earthlink.net http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#4497 A sliver of Brooklyn Bridge Park, which opened on June 26th, has become a summer attraction. The space, a play area for both children and adults near Pier 1, is the first glimpse of what is to come for the park. The project has been in the planning stages for nearly 20 years and is estimated to cost at least $350 million. While work on the park has stalled over the years, more significant progress has been made since last November, when new leadership came to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corp. 2008-07-28 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#4441 The Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation (BBPDC), a state-run entity overseeing the construction of the 85-acre development, announced that parts of public space on Pier 1 would be open in 2009. This news follows a recent announcement that the total cost for the park had increased from $150 to $300 million, with only $225 million of those funds allocated by the State and City. Piers 2 through 5 should be completed by 2012. The BBPDC made clear that park construction would take priority over residential construction in the area of development. 2008-07-11 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#4419 Earlier this week, new renderings were released for the future of Brooklyn Bridge Park. 17 acres of the park are expected to open in 2009 and by 2012 two-thirds of the park is expected to be open to the public. 2008-07-02 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#4331 The Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation has announced that it will open a small park area on Pier 1 near the base of the Brooklyn Bridge at the end of June. The opening will coincide with the unveiling of the East River Waterfalls, offering visitors views of one of the waterfalls and the Manhattan skyline. The park will have a beach area, benches and tables and a concession stand. Free shuttle service will bring visitors to the park from Brooklyn Hall. 2008-06-12 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#4287 The cost of the 1.3-mile park project has exceeded its original cost projection from $150 million to upwards of $300 million, says State Senator Marty Connor. Opponents of the park plan used the news of the cost increase to attack the inclusion of luxury condominium development on site. Project proponents, like City Council Member David Yassky, reiterated that the project would succeed. Brooklyn Bridge Park supporters also defended the luxury units on the basis of the $15 million park maintenance cost. 2008-05-30 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#4237 Skanska, the construction company that has been contracted to construct the Brooklyn Bridge Park, will be using materials recycled from demolished sheds and buildings in the area to build the park. A spokesman for the company says that this effort is part of a commitment to sourcing locally as much building materials as possible, as well as trying to reduce negative neighborhood impacts. 2008-05-16 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#4152 The New York State Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state last week in a case brought by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund against the development of luxury condo buildings in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The Defense Fund’s case was built on the argument that the inclusion of private residential units in the public park would violate the Public Trust Doctrine, which prohibits the encroachment of private uses on public open spaces. They also argued that the project’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) did not take into account the impact of increased traffic from the proposed Atlantic Yards development. The court dismissed both arguments, saying that the Public Trust Doctrine does not preclude residential uses adjacent to public open space and that the Atlantic Yards traffic impacts had been “sufficiently studied.” The project developer, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corp., plans to use fees paid by businesses and residents from the condominium buildings to pay for park maintenance. 2008-04-27 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#4113 Regina Myer, President of Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, in an interview with the Brooklyn Papers has said that progress is being made on the park and that she hopes some sections will open next year. In addressing the budget for the park, Myer said that she is still reviewing the numbers to ensure that revenue generated from private, residential development will help pay for the maintenance of the park. Some are concerned that the park could be underutilized because of its distance from public transit and local development, but Myer is confident that the will be utilized by the public 2008-04-19 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#4063 David Walentas has commissioned architect Jean Nouvel to design a pavilion for a historic carousel in hopes of donating the carousel to the City. Walentas would like the carousel, built in 1922, to be placed in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Walentas’ wife Jane has been restoring the carousel for the past 22 years. Regina Myer, President of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Authority, likes the carousel, however she is more concerned with making sure proper infrastructure gets built in the park first. It is unclear how long the developer will wait for the park to accept the carousel because others have offered to purchase it. 2008-04-07 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#3953 The development of Brooklyn Bridge Park has turned into a battleground over the use of waterfront space in the City. Fred Kent of the Project for Public Spaces argues that the waterfront should be more European, with markets and restaurants, rather than simply open space. Kent and other opponents of Brooklyn Bridge Park argue that the park’s playing fields will be empty and only work to preserve the view for the controversial new condominiums being built at the north and south ends of the park. The park’s supporters believe that the variety of different kinds of park space available will attract thousands of people to the park. The park’s developers also say that the condos were necessary to fund the development of the rest of the park. 2008-03-24 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#3942 Demolition work has begun for Brooklyn Bridge Park although appeals remain in opposition to the housing located in the park. The Brooklyn Bridge Defense Fund had filed suit against the project citing flaws with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and saying that private housing in a public park is illegal. In November 2006, a judge decided that the issue at stake was not a legal one but one of philosophy regarding private uses in public spaces. The Defense Fund appealed the decision and had its day in court this week to argue it case before an appellate court. 2008-03-22 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#3894 The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced concerns with Brooklyn Bridge Park’s plans to calm the East River – which would allow for a marina and water sports. DEC says that the current plan could alter currents and shade the river, which would harm marine life. DEC has asked the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) to make changes to the current proposal, which has already doubled costs due to other delays and rising construction prices. 2008-03-10 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#3767 David Kramer was recently made chairman of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy Board. Work on the waterfront park started this week. Kramer is the Principal of the Hudson Companies, a developer that has been influential in plans for DUMBO. Hudson Companies is also one of the remaining bids for Public Place, a site along the Gowanus. Public programming for the park will be a main responsibility for Kramer in his new position. 2008-02-11 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#3691 Construction began on Brooklyn Bridge Park, a 1.3 mile park along the East River, on Monday. The first phase of the project, which is being overseen by Skanska USA, includes demolition of several buildings and removal of trees. Construction is expected to take nine months, and the completed park will run from Brooklyn Heights to DUMBO. 2008-01-30 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=30#3561 The Brooklyn Bridge Park project is expecting to exceed its $150 million budget by several million dollars. Currently the state-run Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation is overseeing the project, but Mayor Bloomberg has asked that the City be given more control over the development. The City has also offered to contribute a large portion of the requisite funds. 2008-01-02 00:00:00