BBP’s Pier 6 by end of year!

By on March 17, 2009 8:59 am in Development, News
Presenting to your critics is never easy (BHB/Sarah Portlock)

Presenting to your critics is never easy — something Brooklyn Bridge Park developers know well (BHB/Sarah Portlock)

Swing Valley! Marsh Mallow! Benches everywhere!

Such enticing park amenities are part of what’s to come at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6 — and it will all be ours by the end of the year, Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation President Regina Myer told a standing-room only crowd at last night’s Community Board 2 parks committee meeting.

Myer did not, however, address in any way last week’s news that Mayor Bloomberg may be wrestling control of the park from the state’s hands — she was only here to talk construction, she said, sweetly but emphatically.

Currently, workers are laying pipes for utilities and stormwater retention in the lot, which is at the western end of Atlantic Avenue. Crews will soon start structural work on the 35-foot pedestrian path that will lead from the park’s entrance at Atlantic Avenue to an elevated platform halfway down the pier that overlooks the harbor.

The timeline is:

  • In the spring, construction begins on three sand volleyball courts, 1.6-acre playground and expansive swing set, and the 1,000-square-foot concession stand
  • By summer, “the park will start to look like a park,” said project manager Jennifer Klein. The dog run will take shape, and trees will be planted. (There will be honey locusts, black locusts, oaks, and catalpas.)
  • And in the fall, the actual playground equipment will arrive, long-leaf yellow pine cladding will go up on the concession stand, and dozens of benches will line the walkways throughout the park

The remainder of the pier — including the water taxi dock — is not yet funded, Myer said.

The entire park costs have now ballooned to $350 million, but only $231 million has been allocated, and plans for revenue-generating housing and hotel projects have been scrapped. The restaurant would provide some cash for the park, officials said, but only about 1-2 percent of the total operating costs.

Construction updates and more renderings are on the park’s Web site at www.brooklynbridgeparknyc.org. And, Myer said she is working with Community Board 2 to organize a tour sometime in the springtime.

Here’s the rendering BBPDC showed the community last night, of Pier 6:

bbp_pier6

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  • Publius

    What’s that ugly monolithic gray slab in the upper right hand corner of the above proposed rendering for Pier 6 that blocks the views of Manhattan? No, it’s not something out of 2001: A Space Oddysey. It’s one of the two towers for the luxury condos that are not going to happen.

    Disappointing that they still include the housing and hotel as part of the park plan that they show to the public.

    Despite this, Regina is a nice person who can also get things done. It’s great to see the park moving forward. We’ll see what happens with the City takeover. I hope if the City does take over, they keep Regina.

  • http://flickr.com/photos/theyardie/298366254/ David

    Could it be one of the swarm of monoliths from 2010: Odyssey Two?

  • Ari

    That building looks like an existing structure, an MTA Fan Plant. And judging by that rendering, its getting a curtain wall, weak.

  • James

    I still don’t understand why this park has to be “self-sustaining” while parks in Manhattan (i.e. the High Line Park) are supported by the taxpayer. Does anyone know why?

  • Publius

    James: It was the “Original Sin” of this entire decades long saga. Supposedly, the Port Authority, which formerly controlled the piers, would only deed it over to the State if the park would be self sustaining. The rest is history.

    Ari: That slab on the above rendering is not an existing structure. The existing MTA building you may be thinking of is in between Piers 4 and 5. This rendering is of Pier 6.

    I know for certain that the slab is a placeholder for the hopefully never to be built luxury condo tower. I’ve spoken with Ms. Myer about it.

    BTW, a little further north about a hundred feet, there’s another footprint on the plans (not visible on the above rendering) for ANOTHER monolithic slab that would eliminate views of Manhattan and take up space in the ‘park’.

    These two luxury condo towers would be on or in front of Pier 6 slightly to the south of the existing 1 BBP building (360 Furman St).

  • nabeguy

    Homer, the link you posted to the Brooklynbridgeparknyc.org seems to have been moved. Is Pier 6 the one furthest south directly off of Atlantic Avenue?

  • anon

    Why not just be glad some additional parkground is coming soon?

    Despite the economy, good things are happening.

    You don’t like the “slabs” and you don’t believe they’ll ever be built, so chill.

    Or stay out of the damn park and leave it for the rest of us.

  • nabeguy

    Who could like a slab except a person with one between their ears? Parks are an important and necessary break in the urban sprawl, but why clutter it up with the same thing that we’re all trying to escape from? I welcome the park as a public landscape, not as a front yard for luxury condos dwellers.

  • Publius

    Anon:

    Sorry you don’t like my comments. Perhaps you overlooked the sentence in my first post where I say “It’s great to see the park moving forward.” Perhaps you’re a condo developer who prefers that private luxury apts take up acres of public parkland.

    See you in the park!

  • cfb

    If this is Pier 6, then that’s One Brooklyn Bridge Park, the condo development that’s already there, and in all likelihood would be there whether the Park went in or not.

  • Brooklyn Guy

    The grey slab is a rendering of the southern edge of proposed residential tower. Not sure how fast this will become a reality in this economy and falling real estate market. Could take years.

    Regina is in control and what you see is what you’ll get.

  • Publius

    cfb:

    Your statement, “If this is Pier 6, then that’s One Brooklyn Bridge Park, the condo development that’s already there”,
    is incorrect.

    Click here to view the park plans: http://tinyurl.com/2cuqpm

    You’ll notice three outlined areas at the foot of Pier 6. 1 BBP is the largest outlined area in white.

    The other two smaller outlined areas in white are the footprints for future 25 story towers that park planners envision and are reserving in the current construction that’s now begun.

    The grey slab in the rendering photo above in this post shows the southernmost envisioned tower–not, as you say, 1BBP.

    You’ll also notice on the rendering above the tower is circumnavigated by a city street–Yes, a city street in a ‘park’. This is to service the future towers and will be included in the present construction which leaves room for this footprint for the future tower to support deliveries, maintenance, Fresh Direct, pick up and drop off of residents.

    So instead of maximizing parkland, the park planners are actually bringing City streets into what should be grass and trees.

    I’m all for the park, but why do we need to bring actual City streets onto Pier 6 (the park), especially if the towers are unlikely to happen anytime soon, or ever?

    People need to be fully aware of what’s about to happen.