Bloomberg Says Options Open on Park Financing

By on March 22, 2010 1:42 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Government


At this morning’s opening of the Pier 1 section of Brooklyn Bridge Park, Mayor Michael Bloomberg (see video above) noted in his remarks that the agreement between the State and City under which the City has taken control of the Park’s construction and management provides for the appointment of a committee to study ways to fund the Park’s ongoing operating and maintenance costs. He said that housing was still on the table as a source of funds, but that the committee would consider other options and “no stone will be left unturned.”

In his remarks, State Senator Daniel Squadron praised Governor Paterson and the Mayor for the agreement, and noted that it opened the way to consider financing options other than housing. He also gave special recognition to Judi Francis of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund, which has opposed housing as a source of Park funding. (As this March 10 New York Post article points out, the agreement between the State and City enables Squadron, along with Assemblymember Joan Millman, considerable power over shaping the means by which the Park’s maintenance is financed, and thereby enables Squadron to keep his campaign promise to seek alternative means of financing.)

Borough President Marty Markowitz said the Park is part of the revitalization of downtown Brooklyn, along with Atlantic Yards. He likes the view of the “outer Borough of Manhattan” from the park, and looks forward to the day when the Brooklyn Nets defeat the “Manhattan” Knicks at Barclay Center. On a more serious note, he said he envisions the Park as helping to link downtown Brooklyn with downtown Manhattan as a “new City center.” Markowitz gave special praise to the people of Brooklyn Heights for their efforts to establish the Park.

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  • bklyn20

    Homer et al, thanks very much for this. Acknowledging that alternatives to housing are being consided for the park is so very important. There are so many more-appropriate ways we can generate revenue without luxury condos that will burden our infrastructure (PS8’s extension will be for naught if 1,000 + units of housing send hundreds of new kids our way!) Look how well 1BBP is not selling — alternatives are the only intelligent choice. Housing should never have been even considered in the first place.

    Thanks also to Senator Squadron, Assemblywoman Millman, who made a wise reconsideration on this issue, and to Councilman Steve Levin. And special thanks to Judi Francis, who took on the Sisyphean task of returning to a real park plan in late 2004 and kept on with it — and is still keeping on with it.

    So many otherwise intelligent people have NO IDEA that over 1,000 units of housing are scheduled for the park — your help is vital in mobilizing people to get a park for the people of Brooklyn and NYC, rather than Battery Park City East.

    Now can those deceptive maps on the Promenade fence please come down? You know, the ones with the pale gray rectangles where the housing is slated to go up? Funny that they aren’t marked as”housing.” Could we try and mark them as “alternatives to housing?”

  • sue

    I am really glad that Joan came around on this… It show she listens

  • sue

    Thanks must go to Anthony Manheim.. He is the first person who
    stepped up to the plate and put years of work into this.. Sometimes under difficult conditions… He must get kudos..lots of them

  • boconon

    Sue,

    Yes, Tony was an inspiration to us all – the man with the plan. Glad to see him at the opening and it was unfortunate he was not identified as the real pioneer.

  • milton

    It seems to me that the reason they are looking into alternative ways to fund the maintenance of the park is because the real estate market has tanked and you can’t get financing to build new market-rate condos. 360 Furman is barely hanging on. Judy Francis had nothing to do with it. I see her as an evil force who tried to kill the park under the pretense of being for a better or more “pure” park scheme. She is a piece of work.

  • http://deleted Bill

    Milton, you are wrong. There are people like Judi Francis fighting every day for the park the community worked for 25 years to get, beginning with Tony Manheim, the founder of this park. He is truly to be thanked as well – and he was by others at the park today. The community’s plan was co-opted by those Markowitz saluted – they were the people who didn’t want a park – certainly don’t want to look down on people using it. The lawns today are beautiful and the harbor grand. It would be nice if there were things my three sons could do in it besides walk on asphalt promenades. How about that pool? When is that coming back? I say this “park” is still a long way away from being anything my family will often use, and certainly nothing we could use in the fall or winter.

  • milton

    Bill, no, I am right. You are deluded. Sorry.

  • Teddy

    I think the reality has set in, based on what is happening at 360 Furman, that a lot of people (like me) don’t want to live in that location. I would feel “cut-off” from the Heights, “sandwiched” between the windy, cold harbor & the BQE.

  • http://deleted sue

    Forget him, Bill. Miltie is obviously one of those old farts who can’t stand
    the idea of people actually wanting a park instead of a lawn for luxury
    condos. And yes, there is work to be done to find ways to pay for this
    park without housing. Congratulations to the Senator and
    Assemblywoman for keeping condos out. Let’s get that floating pool back!

  • milton

    360 Furman is fabulous, are you kidding? Have you seen the model apartments?? People are not flocking there because the economy sucks and they can’t afford it. Otherwise the place would be sold-out. The location is the draw, you are right next door to lady Liberty, the harbor, the sunsets, the skyline. It’s great. The NYC economy is not.
    That’s the bottom line. The same can be said for all the other new developments in the burg from The Edge, to Turen, to Oro, to whatever. The money spigot is tightenting and smart thiriy-somethings don’t have million-dollar bonuses guaranteed any more.

  • milton

    Sue, if you have to call people unpleasant names to make your point then you are obviously not good at debating. Calling someone an old fart does not make you seem smart and witty, it makes you seem uneducated and vulgar.

  • http://deleted Bill

    Seems to us, Milton, that you are the first one to cast aspersions. Best take your own advice and quit while you can! Got healthcare?

  • milton

    Bill, what? are you drunk?

  • No One of Consequence

    360 Furman may be fabulous on the inside looking out, but the location actually sucks (IMO). I park my car there (cuz it’s cheap and indoors and I don’t use it very often) and the con of the walk almost defeats the pro of the bargain. I couldn’t imagine having to go down there every day to get home.
    The locations of the big gray obelisks would be even worse. Once the JW start selling their properties and they are converted that will also saturate the RE market making units down on Furman even less attractive.

  • Mike

    While serious elected officials like Daniel Squadron and Joan Millman work to improve the Park and find an alternative to the misguided housing plan, Marty Markowitz shows up, tells the same bad jokes, plies the same tired shtick, and embarrasses himself and, worse, the entire Borough of Brooklyn. Thanks so much, Mike Bloomberg, for giving him a third term. As punishment, at least you’ll have to listen to his mindless act everytime you visit Brooklyn, until, thankfully, you’re both gone. And Milton, STFU.

  • BklynLifer

    Milton, wise up! You and your outrageous plan to put luxury housing in the park have been DEFEATED. Martin Connor was DEFEATED because he was party to the evil deed. DANIEL SQUADRON WAS ELECTED because Judi Francis, the Brooklyn Bridge Defense Fund and hundreds of outraged neighbors stood up to you and the other out-numbered Miltons of Brooklyn Heights and helped get Sen Squadron elected. Sometimes the people win, especially when they are willing to stand up to nasty people like you who have the nerve to call Judi “an evil force who tried to kill the park under the pretense of being for a better or more “pure” park scheme.” No, my friend, YOU are the evil force — YOU didn’t have the courage to stand up to defend the park from becoming a luxury housing development with a front lawn. Instead you resort to cowardly name-calling and villifying of someone who is far more effective in defending our community than a toady like you.

  • seth

    We all know judi francis is an evil,divise person. There are many many others who have gone about getting the policymakers to relook at this plan without her level of hatred.. Get rid of her and bring on some community healers… Her time on this is long past. Suggestions for community healers as this thing gets built??

  • BklynLifer

    Seth — you wrote, “There are many many others who have gone about getting the policymakers to relook at this plan.” My question to you — like who? Judy Stanton? John Watts? These are the people who CREATED the Develo-Park. Judi Francis and the BBP Defense Fund were the only people who had the guts to stand up and fight for a real park, not a Develo-Park. Now that you’ve lost, and the PEOPLE have won, you want to “bring on some community healers”? You could have said this in Dec 2004 when the Develo Park was rolled out and thereby saved all of us from five years of deception and delay. Sorry, Buddy, but you’re a bit late to the party.