Park Progress: Thirty-Fourth Report

By on November 30, 2009 11:37 pm in Brooklyn Heights, News

BHB photo by C. Scales

BHB photo by C. Scales

As seen from the east tower of the Brooklyn Bridge this morning (Monday, November 30), Pier 1′s western side is almost completely sodded. What is that crater near the lower left of the photo, just above the truck? The maps posted on the Promenade don’t give a clue. More photos and text after the jump.

BHB photo by C. Scales

BHB photo by C. Scales

Removal of the deck from the south end of Pier 1 is now complete, and a seawall is being constructed along the shoreline.

BHB photo by C. Scales

BHB photo by C. Scales

Demolition of the warehouse buildings inland from Pier 1 continues.

BHB photo by C. Scales

BHB photo by C. Scales

Here’s another view of the demolition work underway, this as seen from Columbia Heights across from the Harry Chapin Playground.

BHB photo by C. Scales

BHB photo by C. Scales

There’s still lots of activity around Pier 6, but it doesn’t look as near to completion as Pier 1.

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5 Responses to Park Progress: Thirty-Fourth Report

  1. Karl Junkersfeld December 1, 2009 at 7:40 am #

    If you scroll down towards the end of this presentation, there is a large rendering of what Pier One will look like and you will see a small pond in the location where they are creating a crater.

    http://brooklynbridgeparknyc.org/uploads/pdfs/Pub_Meet_063008.pdf

  2. Karl Junkersfeld December 1, 2009 at 9:46 am #

    This article was in the Post. Next we will hear complaints that the trees aren’t green enough.

    “It’s being sold to the public as a world-class open space, but critics say the planned Brooklyn Bridge project’s main gateway appears second-rate.

    Renderings of the 85-acre project’s Old Fulton Street entryway near Pier 1 in Brooklyn Heights show nothing monumental or spectacular to welcome visitors. Instead, the new plan is plain and includes wider sidewalks and a tree-lined path leading to the park’s grass-covered rolling hills and esplanade.

    Judi Francis, a Cobble Hills activist and longtime opponent of the current park plan, said the entrance lacks a world-class feel to it and is a “slap in the face to the Brooklyn Bridge.”

    “This park is named after this magnificent bridge yet, there is nothing to pay tribute to it,” she said. “This would have been a perfect spot. There is nothing special about this entrance. What you have is lots of landscaping that looks like any park in Middle America.”

    Regina Myer, President of state-city Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, disagreed.

    “We feel strongly that our plan is exactly what it should be – a pleasant and inviting entry point to access the magnificent park,” she said. “Furthermore, we would reason that the monumental elements are already there: the awesome view of the lower Manhattan skyline and the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.”

    The Pier 1 rendering is part of the park’s design by Michael Van Valkenburgh, who is set to make a $21.3 million off the job.

    After more than 20 years of planning, the first parts of Brooklyn Bridge Park are set to open by early 2010 along both Pier 1 and Pier 6 off Atlantic Avenue.”

    Personally, I am very excited.

  3. Claude Scales December 1, 2009 at 10:01 am #

    Karl, thanks for the info about the pond. I’m very excited about the park, too.

  4. Remsen December 1, 2009 at 12:55 pm #

    It seems like Pier 1 is much closer to opening than Pier 6….but the construction overall seems to be progressing at a pretty good clip

  5. BklynJace December 1, 2009 at 3:02 pm #

    Regina Myer’s put-down FTW, with extra points for the sly subjunctive. Though granted, my blood pressure rises whenever “activist” and “longtime opponent” appear in close conjunction.