Are Brooklyn Heights Activists Looking $40M BBP Gift Horse In The Mouth?

Anything that provides year round activity is a plus for the park. Everything that I read said that while the field house will be “Bike Centric” it will have space for other indoor activities as well. If you don’t understand how indoor recreation is valuable then I’m not sure what to say.

All city parks have occasional events that draw crowds. Luckily this one is located near public transport for easy access. Still some will drive. As someone who lives at the corner of Hicks and Joralemon, I’ve been concerned about traffic on Joralemon from the first mention of the park design. Early designs specifically prevented car access from Joralemon. As designs progressed suddenly there was car access. I think the cars are there to stay. I’m willing to live with that.

I think there is a small faction of people making a big noise because they don’t like the idea of outsiders coming into the neighborhood. It’s a park. People are going to come to events. Get over it. I would say Bicycling Events are probably the tamest type of sporting event you can imagine. What’s there to be scared of.

These “civic leaders” should be ashamed of themselves. After so many years of budget shortfalls, Bloomberg giving & taking away funding, and doubts about whether Brooklyn Bridge Park will ever become a source of pride for the borough, a few selfish loudmouths are worried about their precious cobblestone streets being invaded by “outsiders.”

This is New York City, folks, not the countryside of Woodstock, New York. The very idea that they would turn down this gift because they’re concerned about “dogs and babies” being wiped out by an alleged stampede of visitors is remarkably short-sighted.

A few more folk give or take a few thousand ain’t bad. More tourists will bring more money into the neighborhood which could create more jobs and maybe more summer jobs for teenagers and others looking for part time work.

I’m more concerned with the bike riders on the Promenade and the dog walkers who don’t clean up after their dogs on the Promenade.

For those who want a private park or no park at all perhaps Brooklyn is not the pace for you. Brooklyn Heights thankfully is not a gated community.

I don’t get the whole velodrome thing, and I’m a cyclist myself. Those are for fixed-gear bikes, which are relatively dangerous, especially for the unskilled. This is kind of an elitist use of space, since I don’t think many people do this type of cycling, and it’d be dangerous for others to just hop on the track–especially kids. Or uncoordinated, though enthusiastic, people.

The merits of the fieldhouse is one issue. One that I do think is something one could question. I am far less enthused after seeing the designs which are far more bike centric than I would have expected. But, even with that, there’s room for 2-3 indoor basketball/volleyball/etc. courts. That’s something, that when basically given to us, we should gladly accept. And when the financing to run the facility lapses, maybe we can get another donor to pony up and make it much more community-oriented.

The real issue raised by these community activists, the traffic associated with the “crowds.” First, how much larger of a crowd is 2500 as compared to the biggest movie in the park series? Honest question. Second, it’s never made sense that traffic is a huge concern at Joralemon. It’s easier to enter on Atlantic or Old Fulton. Anyone who would be inclined to drive straight through the middle of the heights, is walking. There isn’t much parking down there. I don’t see why the block would ever see a huge uptick in traffic, and on the many occasions I have walked that block to get to the park, my expectations of little traffic has been met. This issue is a red herring designed by a few to eliminate the walk-through and prevent “certain” people from treading on their precious blocks.

I wish that BHB had reported on the meeting, rather than recycling the Post’s misleading piece. In addition, I didn’t identify any of my volunteer activities, including the CB2 Parks Committee. My concerns about the field house/velodrome are in terms of traffic — car traffic — and nothing else. As the most “under-parked” of all the boroughs, Brooklyn needs more recreational opportunities, especially year-round recreational opportunities.

My first comment was that I and many others welcomed more active recreation in the park. Following that I cited the long-time promise to the South Heights, apparently forgotten, that retractable bollards would be installed at the end of Joralemon. These would serve to ease all kinds of pedestrian traffic and deter additional car and truck traffic. My comment ended with the very basic,reductionist “Recreation good, cars bad”. Why Is that too hard to understand?

I find it ironic everyone is worrying about car traffic when a “bike centric” feature is being added. Parking is already tough on the weekend, it is not like it can get much worse. And it is not like any other event space in the city causes huge traffic issues. People use the subway, it isn’t going to have that large of an effect. Relax…..

I have been to the velodrome that is at Kissena Park in Flusing many times, and really enjoyed it. It is a good way to show people was fixed gear bikes are meant for. Also the races are really fun to watch. I believe it is a sport kids can and will enjoy participating in.

And if people want something else, you are more than free to donate $40 Million and have you say.

@mary goodman etc – don’t hesitate to volunteer to cover these meetings… we’re a community blog and all voices are welcome… plus we can always use the help! Seriously!!

No problem– just move it to Atlantic Avenue where we don’t have to look at it!

I can’t believe that no one has commented on a few key facts:

1. The building that’s coming will be almost FIVE times bigger than the building there now. So outdoor space will be lost to this man’s whim of a facility. Do the math suckers.

2. Don’t be bamboozled. It’s nOt a “year round recreation facility” — it’s an elite bike racing track with a little bit of room in the middle for ONE sport to bd set up at a time… for a price. And that will be in use almost constantly by the local rich kid private schools.

So really, this is a rich guy buying the use of PUBLIC land and throwing us a fake bone of “recreation facility” abd that none will be utilize almost exclusively by rich private schools and teams from all over tge city — not locals.

Trojan Horse indeed. It’s not like such a facility was in the park plans or on the “wish list” and some philanthropic soul stepped in to make it happen. It is more like the Tobacco Warehouse scam all over again. I am not against a year round sports facility in the park, I think it would be great. I just think it should offer a wider range of more popular activities and be readily accessible to the public. The way it is, seems too limited to specialized “elite” sports to warrant that much use of valuable parkland.

That nerd should shove his $40m donation if he is dictating what it must be used for. A bike track? Give me a break. The cobblestones on Joralemon are already completly messed up, wait until the real traffic starts.

Agree with the math major. Just a slick trick to stroke a rich man’s ego.

And it is the wrong location for such a facillity. The pedestrian traffic on Joralemon Street west of Hicks Street is already causing gridlock. One stopped double-wide baby carriage blocks everything there. Too much traffic to consider. Very bad idea.

Livingston, then let the velodrome be subject to public hearings and debate, so it can truly be decided if it’s for “the greater good of the community.” Unlike the Tobacco Warehouse transfer to St Ann’s, which was done illegally and without such input. That was the “fisaco”

I do believe that if Brooklyn Heights was the Upper West Side, people would protest against Central Park being built.