Park Footbridge Will Cost $4.9 Million

By on May 5, 2011 10:19 pm in brooklyn bridge park

Designer Ted Zoli’s wooden bridge connecting Squibb Park to Brooklyn Bridge Park will cost $4.9 million to construct:

Brooklyn Paper: The new plans come after a bumpy battle for funding. In 2009, Mayor Bloomberg trimmed $8 million from Brooklyn Bridge Park’s construction budget, killing the footbridge.

But the following year, the City Council and Borough President Markowitz allocated enough money for the footbridge, which is scheduled to open next summer.

Regina Myer, president of Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, is happy they did.

“It is a spectacular new park amenity,” she said.

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  • T.K. Small

    @David: Thanks for a new word!

  • nabeguy

    That is a great word David, although it’s rare that instances like this pop up often enough to use it.

  • David on Middagh

    Nabeguy, fortunately, we are inundated with rare occurrences of all kinds!

  • nabeguy

    DOM, given the monkeyshines on this site, I’m sure it will be used again.

  • T.K. Small

    Sadly, I am branchiatedly impaired.

  • http://bivforbrooklyn.com Doug Biviano

    The bridge is clearly to benefit the development parcels as it ends right at the “hotel,” even switches back north instead of south so very little gain to inner pier access. Look at the Popular Mechanics renderings:

    http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/architecture/a-new-brooklyn-bridge-this-time-made-of-trees-5618483?src=rss

    If want to connect Squibb Park to BBP, for a fraction of the cost of the proposed bridge, an ADA compliant switched back ramp could be made in the open space south of Squibb and the rest of the money used for the rest of the park as everyone else is suggesting. There’s even a gate door where a very visible cross walk could be made. In fact, it would be the safest and most visible on Furman since on a long straight run with no blind corners or curves.

    TK do you know if the existing switch back ramp in Squibb is ADA compliant? I wonder. If not there may be grounds to stop this waste of $4.9 million and put it towards more important ADA issues in the park like you mention.

  • bornhere

    The more I think about this, the less sensible it seems. Five million dollars is a lot of money, especially when it’s target is so clearly redundant.
    On the other hand, the Bridge From Nowhere will be really neat once it is festooned with old sneakers….

  • T.K. Small

    The rules are slightly different for existing structures. If the ramp into Squibb Park were being built today, it would not be that steep and there would be level resting areas roughly every 25 feet. I will try to get the ADA answer as to this ramp in its current configuration.

  • Eddy de Lectron

    David on Middagh, Yes, great word but I take offense to JJSmith’s blatant bigotry…

    T.K. I think they will have to bring the ramps up to ADA standards. I know the maximum slope is 1 inch per foot. the resting areas I’m not sure about. Perhaps this is a plus for the bridge, if the Squibb ramps are configured to code it might be an easier way for disabled people to access the park as the Colombia Heights hill certainly does not appear to meet the ADA standards?

    My only criticism of the bridge is that I think it should terminate in the park farther to the south, that would make it much more useful.

    As for the cost, Anyone who is familiar with the construction industry should know $5M is not an unreasonable figure for a bridge of that size (look at the PM article).

  • Jeffrey j Smith

    Huh? all I said is that it has design elements of an ancient hand
    bridge from its looks….who would that appeal to? not the average
    Heights residents with the high levels of decernment. So why are we building this for $5M?

  • Regina

    Jeffrey j Smith
    “This is an age of madness, uglyness and banality”
    And you and your racist comments are a perfect example.
    A-hole.

  • Jeffrey j Smith

    This is why I dont reply directly to posts. You’ve just seen the level of “debate” in some quarters.But tell you what; I use my real name. I suggest, we all answer others positions point by point. Can we stay to a standard which gives respect to eveyone? That makes our community a better place.

  • Eddy de Lectron

    Jeffrey, ” “people” are supposed to proceeed HAND
    OVER HAND.to the park….I Wonder who that might appeal to…”

    Not racist? oh please.

  • Jeffrey j Smith

    The R word is the redoubt of intellectuial bankrupts everywhere.

    I was referring, by the way, to all of us being reduced from adults to children. which is what this terrible design might appeal to.

    But we cant have a state of affairs where all opinion has to fall silent or be prior limited lest someone might use the R word.
    People may start out with the best of intentions, but the quick
    end of this road is present day Canada with its strong legal controls on free speech. We need to take care not to let any-
    thing erode our precious unique American freedoms of
    thought and open expresssion. Be careful.

  • Eddy de Lectron

    Nice try, but “your mouthwash ain’t making it”… This isn’t a freedom of speech issue. You can say anything you want, just be prepared for a harsh rebuttal if you say something offensive.

  • Jeffrey j Smith

    let’s get back to the bridge: how could we offer a better design?

  • T.K. Small

    I found out this evening at the community board meeting that the funding for the bridge came from Borough President Marty Markowitz. It was originally projected to cost $3 million, but after a $5 million allocation, it became 4.9 million. As I understood the information, the bridge is separate from the overall capital budget for the rest of the park.

  • Jeffrey j Smith

    Mr Small’s comment points to one of the real underlying irritants/
    greatly disquieting elements of the whole park matter-the amount
    that this is being directed and decisions made in a low/no public
    notice atmosphere. This is simply hidden goverenment.

    Every step of this should be front page news,because we are slipping into goverrnment of intentional low visability

    This is where blogs can render a great service of exposing every
    step in this process and causing a healthy amount of public
    activism.

    Anyone who wants the people to be clearly soverign again
    needs to understand; there is NO magic wand, the country
    will be taken back by the kind of house to house fighting
    which blogs make possible every day.

  • Damn Crazies

    You people calling JJS racist are screwed up.
    Get over your holier-than-thou selves.

  • JAFO

    Why does this argument between JJS and (your name here) remind me of a book I read, “Runaway Jury”.

  • Jeffrey j Smith

    Again, let’s get back to the bridge, how can average Heights concerned citizens offer a better alternative to this (very
    questionable) design?.

  • http://deleted Anon

    This bridge to and from nowhere is yet another example of this project’s ongoing waste. The park doesn’t need private housing inside its borders , it needs to cut the waste. Cut the duplicative bureaucracies (we already have a parks department), cut the 4-seasons plantings (and the $475K contract for “water clean up”), etc. etc. Put in honest to goodness playing fields, a pool and ice rink.
    Let’s get back to a park and not some smancey stuff for hotel guests
    and condo dwellers.

  • Jeffrey j Smith

    Well how can a group of Heights residents submit a counter-
    proposal with a better design? Are ther, for example some standard “off the shelf” designs which could be submitted for consideration? What is the official body which considers
    designs? How can Heights residents approach the official
    process?

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