Questions, But No Answers, About the Squibb Hill Bridge

By on December 26, 2015 1:34 pm in brooklyn bridge park

For the fourth time this year and fifth in the last 14 months, the New York Times reports on the still-closed path from Columbia Heights down to Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The bridge has now been closed for nearly as long as it was open. And it has proved an embarrassment for officials of the park corporation, who in July said that repairs were completed and that the bridge would reopen as soon as New York City inspectors gave a green light.

Yet much like the readers of this blog, the Times has been unable to get answers from the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation about the cause of the closure, the cost of the repairs, or an expected re-opening date.

And apparently even the previously politic Senator Squadron has lost his patience, saying to the Times, “Why isn’t the park corporation answering these questions proactively? The public needs transparency on this public resource.”

Read the full story…and in the meantime, keep working those leg muscles on you stride up and down Columbia Heights to access the park from Furman St.

 

 

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  • StudioBrooklyn

    Fwiw got a second hand account from a structural engineer who says there is no way there is anything wrong with the bridge. Just saying.

  • Andrew Porter

    On the High Line, people in an adjacent hotel have been performing stripteases for passing tourists.

    If I had a multi-million dollar apartment there, I’d be less than thrilled with strangers walking by, and looking in…

  • StudioBrooklyn

    Please tell: which building adjacent to the high line? There’s a recession on for some of us and Pumps is now upscale. Hah! Drinking. Happy Boxing Day

  • Karl Junkersfeld

    I believe he is referring to the Standard Hotel which bridges the High Line. The NYPost had an article about it about 5 years ago. My guess is that they are waiting for the construction to taper down on both sides of the bridge before proceeding.

  • TeddyNYC

    If they had a concern about the adjacent construction they could tell the public at least, most of us would understand. Because we’re hearing crickets from them about this, some of us have begun to speculate that it could be something else, like what Andrew alluded to above.

  • SongBirdNYC

    EXACTLY what I was thinking Andrew! I’ve been saying that since they broke ground on Pier House. I wonder where the BBP Board Member apartments are in relation to the bridge. I would not be at all surprised if their apartments have windows facing it (they would be end-units with more light and less noise). Have BBP board members bought the right to keep the bridge closed along with their luxury condos?

  • MaryT

    Ah, ain’t oligarchy grand? Let them eat Furman Street.

  • Taters

    That was my first thought…

  • StudioBrooklyn

    Lovely people, the last time we had this talk I seem to recall my position being passed over in favor of construction shed unfeasableness or even taking them on their word about the bridge’s structural integrity. Have our suspicions evolved?

  • Taters

    When you buy a condo in the middle of a public park,
    (or should I say Public/Private Partnership park…)
    It won’t be long before they stop showing Summer movies there because, well, I’m an old cynic.

  • Jorale-man

    The fact that no one has seen a single worker inspecting, let alone repairing, the bridge in over 16 months strongly suggests to me that there’s nothing wrong with it. Or if there is, they don’t plan to repair it until the Pierhouse is finished.

    It’s true, a construction shed probably wouldn’t work there, but why don’t they simply come out and explain as such? I think Andrew Porter’s theory has real merits too…

  • Andrew Porter

    Comment I made over on Curbed:

    I suspect the bridge will remain closed until all the construction is finished. However, at every turn, the BBP has obfuscated and obscured their intentions regarding so many details of the Park.

    The (temporary) opening of the bridge brought a tremendous influx to the northern Bklyn Heights, especially Cranberry and Middagh Streets; this was accompanied by a big increase in vandalism and graffiti. And, there are still—a year plus after closing the bridge—no signs anywhere saying it’s closed, and directing people down the hill. This is another failure of the BBP management to communicate with anyone.

  • Concerned

    I hope they keep the bridge closed or tear it down. Without the bridge, the crowds to BBP walk down Joralemon in the South or down Old Fulton street in the north. With the bridge, crowds come up the bridge and down the middle of the north heights.

  • Boerum Bill

    Gosh, if it does open, what’s to stop someone from standing on the bridge, greeting Pierhouse residents in the morning, wearing only clown makeup and a sandwich board saying “Good Morning” “Enjoy the View”?!

  • William gilbert

    I couldn’t agree more and vandalism in the North Heights went down considerably after the bridge was closed for repairs. Keep it closed or tear it down. It won’t be missed by residents of the North Heights.

  • Teresa

    Please don’t speak for all of us. I live in the North Heights and I can’t wait for it to re-open.

  • concerned

    It really does seem like the bridge is closed to accommodate the construction of the new condos. Without any explanation–it’s really unconscionable. Any public agency would be held to task to answer for the bizarre delays and self-contradictory statements about the situation. This is the peril of these private/public arrangements.

  • William Gilbert

    Whether you want the bridge to reopen or not is not the issue. The issue is that when the bridge was open, the North Heights had lots of vandalism directly related to people coming from the park (ask the Citi Bike people) and late night drinking and carousing problems. It was not safe to walk near there. So you may want the bridge to reopen, but be careful what you wish for. You will see.

  • Reggie

    That’s not a deduction.

  • Concerned

    My handle is “Concerned”. And I like to say things like “unconscionable.” What are you playing at sir/madam?

  • Andrew Porter

    The question is how fast they can get off the bridge and disappear before the police show up.

  • StoptheChop

    then how doe the community recoup the $4M down the drain?

  • StoptheChop

    I’ve heard that the BBP management isn’t interested in communicating with anyone, let alone working with the community that birthed this park, at this point. we’re now the bad guys, or something.

  • StoptheChop

    Already wondering what the poor, poor tour buses are going to do when Furman St views are blocked off to them….

  • Concerned

    Not my concern. If we can get it back, great. If not, why push a crap project so we can try to get value out of it?

  • Greg

    You completely missed Teresa’s point. You spoke on behalf of residents of the North Heights and she simply asked you not to speak for her. Her request is reasonable.

  • Danny K

    Seconded!!! Let’s keep a little distance between Brooklyn Heights and the madhouse that is BBP.

  • peterbrooklyn

    Agree completely. It was a misguided idea with the unintended consequence of making the North Heights less safe. Keep it closed forever.