The First Notion Of Brooklyn Bridge Park… In 1988

By on August 22, 2012 11:17 am in brooklyn bridge park, Brooklyn Heights, History

Ever wondered how the notion of building a park along the Brooklyn Heights waterfront came to pass? Henrik Korgius, Editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and BHB hero, offers details of its launch, beginning in 1988.

He writes, “Brooklyn Bridge Park is a very different place since the first ‘American Landscape’ plan in the form of a Harbor Park, sponsored by the Brooklyn Heights Association and designed by Terry Schnadelbach, was presented in 1988. Protracted struggle with the Port Authority, which wanted to replace the piers that closed in 1983 with housing along the stretch below the Promenade, lasted beyond 1992, (when) then Borough President Howard Golden pushed a separate Brooklyn Harbor plan calling for food stalls and other concessions on a mainly paved area.”

Read the full piece here. Interesting goodies.

(Photo: Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

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  • Jorale-man

    I just finished reading Mr. Korgius’s book on the building of the promenade, which was an enjoyable read and containing some rich historical tidbits. That said, it’s surprising that he comes out so in strongly favor of the Velodrome, as he does in this column. He, if anyone, should know about the scarcity of real parkland in Brooklyn and how this athletic structure will do nothing to help alleviate that. As has been noted here before, the Velodrome could go about anywhere in NYC – why must a (presumably) window-less structure designed for an obscure sport sit on such a prime patch of land? I’d be eager to hear this thoughts on this.

  • Andrew Porter

    We can flood the velodrome, and voila! we have Gerry’s aquatic center!

  • yoohoo

    The name is Krogius, not Korgius. But thank you for giving Mr. Krogius an additional platform to inform your readership.

  • yoohoo

    Mr. Krogius left out that BP Golden took a considerable time to warm to the idea of a park because he hoped to preserve the piers for “manufacturing,” which had already begun to move out of NYC, and that Cuomo disappointed many park advocates during his campaign for governor by his lack of support when our then-Assemblywoman, the late Eileen Dugan, provided funds to study the park concept.

  • Gerry

    And BBP was supposed to have a state of the art indoor aquatics center a great pool – what ever happened to Barbara Brookhart who was big on BBP in the early planiing satges anyone knw where she is now?

  • Gerry

    No one did nore for Brooklyn than Howard Golden he was a powerhouse back in his day spruced up Boro Hall with his staff Opheilia Perry, Jeanette Gadson, Mike McQullian, Hector Batista Mr. Golden did so much – and that lovely wife of his Aileen Golden was a tremendous asset to Brookyn.