Squibb Playground to Brooklyn Bridge Park Footbridge Funded

By on November 16, 2010 8:24 pm in brooklyn bridge park

After yesterday’s Tobacco Warehouse meeting, your correspondent asked BBPC president Regina Myer to confirm what was written in DumboNYC: that the pedestrian bridge to connect the Squibb Playground with Pier 1 of Brooklyn Bridge Park has been funded. She replied that it has. I asked if she knew when construction would begin. She said this coming spring or summer, depending on how soon a construction contract can be finalized.

11.17 update: The Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation’s Board of Directors today approved awarding the design and engineering contract for the bridge to HNTB Engineering & Architecture. Ms. Myer, who briefed the Board on the proposal, said she hoped construction could begin next summer, but could not give a projected construction schedule now. She will keep the Board advised of progress.

Share this Story:

, , , ,

  • Matthew Parker

    Cool, no longer will I need to cut down Doughty St.

  • nabeguy

    Actually, Doughty Street would probably be faster.

  • http://ThePeriodkl.tumblr.com Jonathan

    How wonderful! I’m sure it will be lovely walk.

  • Eddy de Lectron

    Nabe, it would depend where in the park one was headed.

  • davoyager

    Great news. I love this park.

  • 2xG

    Some questions come to mind:

    First, does this mean that there will be adult strangers walking through the school children playing in Squibb Park? Does that sound safe?

    Secondly, right now they close the park at sunset, will the park then stay open to allow access to the bridge?

  • GHB

    2xG… What?!

  • Heightser

    PS8 will only be utilizing Squibb through the end of this school year in June 2011. It is a temporary solution for playground space while the annex is under construction.

  • http://bivforbrooklyn.com Doug Biviano

    Squibb is operated by a private organization named Open Road, not NYC Parks. At this time, I believe P.S. 8 has exclusive use during school hours and an impressive entourage of adult monitors — staff and parent volunteers — that take over the place. Open Road only opens the park when they have staff present because of the “blind spot” as I was told by an employee.

    But, the real question is one of the construction timetable. Hopefully, construction on the playground side will not displace the PS8 students while they wait for the construction of their addition to be completed and forgo a school playground.

    With this in mind, we must appeal to the powers that be to carefully consider the needs of PS8 students in their construction plans. In other words, BBPOE should coordinate with SCA and the PS8 administration in developing their construction docs.

    Here’s more about Open Road at Squibb:

    http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/33/41/bh_squibbpark_2010_10_08_bk.html

  • Andrew Porter

    I’m still in mourning for the adult-sized swings at the old Squibb Park, and for the last tots and kids’ wading pools in any NYC playground that I know of.

  • ujh

    Doug, FYI, the term BBPOE went out the window quite some time ago; it’s called Brooklyn Park Park Corporation or, simply, Brooklyn Bridge Park.

    I wouldn’t waste any time worrying that construction of the park connector from Squibb Park might displace the children of P.S.8.

  • zburch

    Adult sized swings? That would be sooooo awesome!

  • http://bivforbrooklyn.com Doug Biviano

    @ ujh

    Thanks for the update. Probably won’t affect PS 8 but I throw it out there just in case and I sent a letter just in case.

    As for naming, so be it, call it what it is, “Brooklyn Park Park Corporation.”

  • Ion Freeman

    Is it going to be navigable by bicycles and strollers? Does the ADA require that?