The NY Times is reporting that the waterfront park in Brooklyn is closer to being a reality. The plan (click on the image at left to expand), which include a 1.3 mile shoreline, open plazas, and "recreation zones" (think sports fields, water for kayakers, retail stores and restaurants), has been in the works since 2000. The article also points out that at a spring 2002 press conference, Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg said that groundbreaking would start withing a year, but clearly there have been fits and starts. As current Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation president Wendy Leventer says, "Because we're government, we don't do anything in under a year." Ha! One thing is for sure: The development and real estate prices will keep going up.
You can see more photos, schematics, and description of the park from Michael VanValkenburgh & Associates, the designers of the plan. And here's the official Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation website. Also, check out Philip Lopata's book, Waterfront, which looks at NY's waterfront identity.
