Project Description
The Kosciuszko Bridge Design Project
| Project Lead: | North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, formerly Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn |
|---|---|
| Project Partners: | Billion Oyster Project; Brooklyn Greenway Initiative; City Parks Foundation; Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning; LaGuardia Community College; McGolrick Park Neighborhood Alliance; North Brooklyn Neighbors, formerly Neighbors Allied for Good Growth; Newtown Creek Alliance; NYC Audubon Society; Kingsland Wildflowers; NYC Soil and Water Conservation District; New York State Department of Transportation; North Brooklyn Community Boathouse, formerly North Brooklyn Boat Club; Waterfront Alliance; Public Work; and HR&A Advisors |
| Project Location: | As the Kosciuszko Bridge arches over Newtown Creek on the Brooklyn side extending alongside Cherry Street and bound by Stewart Avenue to the east |
| Total GCEF Funding | $219,750 |
| 2018 GCEF Grant | $100,000 | 2019 Budget Addition: | $63,275 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 GCEF Grant | $56,475 | ||
| Total Matching Contribution: | $26,250 | ||
| 2018 Matching Contribution: | $26,250 | ||
| TOTAL INVESTMENT: | $246,000 | ||
| 2018 Project Completed: | July 2019 | 2020 Project Completed: | August 2021 |
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In 2018, through a competitive process, North Brooklyn Parks Alliance (NBPA) was awarded $100,000 in GCEF funding (and provided $26,250 in matching funds) to further develop a four-phase “Under the K Bridge Park” design project aimed at converting several acres of formerly industrial area under the Kosciuszko Bridge into a multi-use public parkland and new green space for the Greenpoint community.
Before GCEF funding was received, Phase One of the project was conducted and consisted of a community-driven visioning process to develop community-based ideas for the area’s design. GCEF funds were used to complete Phase Two of the project, which combined ideas generated from the Phase One community process, additional feedback generated from stakeholder meetings, and a second community workshop in order to create a conceptual design and sustainability planning for the project.
NBPA solicited design proposals from various landscape architecture firms, and ultimately, partnered with Public Work, a Toronto-based landscape architecture firm. NBPA also engaged HR&A Advisors, a NYC-based real estate and economic development consulting firm, to consider potential financial models and revenue-generating strategies that could be implemented to support future maintenance and operating costs of the Under the K Bridge Park site.
In 2019, NBPA received a budget addition of $63,275 to expand the design scope of the project to include two additional parcels: one called “Creekside” running from Scott Avenue to the Newtown Creek shoreline and the other known as “The Arm” running northeast from Van Dam Street to Stewart Avenue.
In 2020, NBPA received a $56,475 GCEF grant to purchase equipment for maintenance of the site, and the cultivation of its unique environmental and horticultural features, as well as to host an opening celebration for Under the K Bridge Park, which was held in June 2021. The funding also supported institutional capacity-building for NBPA so that they can continue to their mission of creating an equitable, accessible, and vibrant parks system in North Brooklyn.
For more information, visit the Under the K Bridge Park’s website at: NBKParks.org /under-the-k/
In August 2019, New York State announced an investment of $6 million to begin construction on the Under the K Bridge Park project, plus an additional $1 million for paving and prep work.
In 2020, NBPA received a $56,475 GCEF grant to purchase equipment for maintenance of the site, and the cultivation of its unique environmental and horticultural features, as well as to host an opening celebration for Under the K Bridge Park, which was held in June 2021. The funding also supported institutional capacity-building for NBPA so that they can continue to their mission of creating an equitable, accessible, and vibrant parks system in North Brooklyn.
PROJECT ACCOMPLISMENTS
- Held a public community design workshop, with 25 people attending, where an initial design was presented to the community and feedback was solicited
- Held a public unveiling of the design plans attended by 100 community members
- Reached an agreement with the State of New York to develop 7 acres of land beneath the Kosciuszko Bridge and received $7 million in funding for the development project
- Hosted a park opening celebration for the community in June 2021
- Funded institutional capacity building for NBPA to sustain its mission of creating equitable, accessible and vibrant park systems in North Brooklyn
- Purchased equipment for the “Under the K Bridge Park” Including a hose and sprinkler irrigation system, an electric utility vehicle to support transport of material and tools, storage units, and various horticultural tools
- Hosted a park opening celebration for the community in June 2021 attended by over 800 people
- Funded institutional capacity building for NBPA to sustain its mission of creating equitable, accessible and vibrant park systems in North Brooklyn
PROJECT PRODUCTS
RELATED MEDIA
Cuomo unveils new Kosciuszko Bridge, announces new park beneath massive structure (New York Daily News, August 27, 2019)
Governor Cuomo Tours New Span of Kosciuszko Bridge and Announces Agreement to Build New “Under The K” Public Park (NYS Governor’s Office, August 27, 2019)
In Greenpoint, new waterfront parks will transform the Newtown Creek (Curbed New York, August 22, 2019)
Greenpoint is Getting Seven Acres of New Parkland under the Kosciuszko Bridge (Greenpoint Post, July 31, 2019)
A Tale Of Two Potential Parks (Williamsburg Patch, October 11, 2018)
