“Bouncy Bridge” Closed Again

By on July 16, 2018 10:11 pm in 11201, brooklyn bridge park, News

If you’ve walked by the entrance to Squibb Park on Columbia Heights or along the pedestrian and bike walkway that parallels Pier One in Brooklyn Bridge Park (which is where your correspondent got the photo) anytime since Friday you’ve probably noticed that the Squibb Park, or “Bouncy” pedestrian bridge has been closed again. Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation President Eric Landau has given the following explanation:

We recently completed a routine inspection of Squibb Bridge, and unfortunately, discovered a piece of wood in poor condition. Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed the bridge while our engineers conduct further analysis. This analysis will fully inform the appropriate repair and associated timeline.

Since Squibb Bridge reopened in the Spring of 2017, it has again become a popular and vital access point to Brooklyn Bridge Park, and we are committed to ensuring that it remains one.

We are working closely with our engineers to reopen the bridge as soon as possible and will provide updates. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.

We hope it will re-open soon.

Share this Story:

,

←  Older Comments
 →
  • Andrew Porter

    Yes, but now with the Trump tariffs, all structural wood replacements have to be smuggled in via submarine from Cuba.

  • Andrew Porter

    Next you’re going to say my own eyes are deceiving me, and also that the Moon is not made of green cheese!

  • Andrew Porter

    Hey, maybe instead of a pool where Squibb Park is, we could get a velodrome!

  • Banet

    The marina was 100% privately funded.

  • gc

    When you say the marina was 100% privately funded I would love to see what exactly that means in actual dollars and cents.

  • gatornyc

    Yes, typo (now corrected). It was supposed to be “This is very “get the hell off my lawn” of you.”

  • gc

    How much did the marina pay for the right to site a marina in NY harbor facing out to lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty?
    Hard to put a fair market price on that but I’d be interested to hear what was paid.

  • http://www.yotamzohar.com StudioBrooklyn

    This is the point at which I’m with Theresa. I’m aware that these pleadings exist, I’m aware of the lawsuit, but I don’t buy their validity. I think there’s either something fishy going on, or someone is overreacting to the bounciness.

  • http://www.yotamzohar.com StudioBrooklyn

    Not if Space Force catches you!

  • Jorale-man

    You’re clearly not looking.

  • Jorale-man

    Sounds like you clearly don’t mind living among trash and filth. Sad.

  • Banet

    The park put out an RFP looking for bids to build and operating marina. The current operator won the bid. They pay an annual rent and if I recall correctly, there’s some form of profit sharing. (Of course from the lack of boats moored in the marina I suspect there’s no profit to share.)

    How much did it cost to build the marina? How much does it cost to operate it? That’s none of our business. Because it’s done by a private business.

    If you opened up a restaurant does the public have a right to know how much it cost you to build out your space? How much you spend on payroll? Of course not. You wouldn’t want your competitors to know.

  • Banet

    I don’t know how much they paid but it is a matter of public record. A phone call to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation (not the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy) would probably yield this information.

    As far as its value, I suspect that’s awfully hard to accurately estimate. For example, the current marina seems to be failing. There are hardly any boats in it. My understanding is that their wave attenuation system doesn’t work as well as they had hoped. That it’s rather rough on the boats moored there and it can be a tricky entrance and exit. But that’s just scuttlebutt I’ve heard.

  • NeighboorHood

    Too soon. Too soon ;)

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    It’s a bit of a different situation. The park was built on public land, some public money was used to build it and taxes from the condos are deferred to help sustain it. Also, there is no “competition”.

  • http://www.yotamzohar.com StudioBrooklyn

    I also wonder what it takes for the marina to be profitable. I’m glancing just at slippage fees here (http://one15brooklynmarina.com/reserve-a-slip/), but there are also the club memberships to consider. Do these rates seem reasonable compared to other area marinas? Anyone here have a boat they keep in the city during the summer? (And if so, let’s meet up and I’ll buy you a drink, I’ll walk your dog, I’ll teach you how to paint!)

  • John S

    This isn’t quite true. The Marina operates as a concession within BBP. But BBP did in fact invest $28 million in the infrastructure to support that marina. They also fully funded the boat house.

    Report I just looked up said the marina is paying 250k a year to the park, but some of that is based on utilization and profit sharing. The RFP is for 186-boat marina btw.. I think it’s safe to say their utilization is somewhat south of that number.

    Also, your recollection of the Floating Lady is very different than mine. I was in some of those public meetings. My recollection was that it didn’t go to the Bronx until the BBP said there was no room for it in their plans. In fact, the BBP said they were planning for their own pool. The public and The Floating Lady requested they keep the Floating Lady as an interim pool, and the BBP squashed that idea. More than a decade later, the new pool plans have been announced with a price estimated to be a min of $10mm . Some estimates are double that.

    (also – wish I could go back and edit an earlier post full of typos but – eh.. you guys get my meaning)

  • John S

    again, the marina didn’t really build much of it out. it’s a concession to operate a marina. the RFP is online and pretty clear. they had some marina-related expenses (in order to service boats — fuel, sump pump, etc) but the BBP did the heavy lifting financially.

  • CassieVonMontague

    lol. The people who live in those buildings are dentists and lawyers, not Rothschilds. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle actually prints their names so you can search for them [Pierhouse Brooklyn Closings], and call them up to ask what they think of the bridge. I’ve got wealthier neighbors in my building, and they couldn’t even get our street repaved. If you think those upper-middle class professionals have any power, you probably believe in the illuminati, too.

  • BrookBo Dad

    I live in Pierhouse and the last thing we want is the

  • BrookBo Dad

    I live in Pierhouse and the last thing we want is for the bridge to close. It’s our connection to a great neighborhood that we moved here to be part of. No conspiracy here…

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    Exactly. Furthermore, why can’t these people simply use shades, blinds or curtains to give themselves privacy, like everyone else… Many people have windows right at sidewalk level with pedestrians passing by much closer than the bridge.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    Finally a voice of sanity, Many Thanks.

←  Older Comments
 →