Session 3 Wed. April 7, 2010: Seizing Opportunities: Waterfront Works in Progress Moderator: Dr. Melissa Checker, Queens College, CUNY Speakers/Panelists Robert Pirani, Regional Plan Association and Governors Island Alliance––Governors Island Kate Van Tassel, NYCEDC and Miquela Craytor, Sustainable South Bronx––South Bronx Greenway Ambassador William J. vanden Heuvel, Four Freedoms Park Nancy Webster, Acting Executive-Director, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy Joshua Laird, Asst. Commissioner, NYC Parks and Recreation Background In 1609, New York’s future waterfront was an arcadian shore of forests, wetlands, beaches, and sand bars, according to Eric Sanderson's book Mannahatta. That landscape is lost forever, but visions of a post-industrial, neo-natural waterfront are longstanding. In 1944, futurists Paul and Percival Goodman proposed that Manhattan "open out toward the water," lining its gritty waterfront with new parks. They were prescient: today the water’s edge of Manhattan is evolving from a "no-man's-land" into a "highly desirable zone of parks," in the words of writer Phillip Lopate. The newly designated "Manhattan Waterfront Greenway" is cobbled together from many bits and pieces like Battery Park City, Hudson River Park, Riverside Park South, restored Harlem River parks, and tiny Stuyvesant Cove Park––each with its own chronicle of past and present struggles among property owners, community groups, developers, politicians, planners, lawyers, and other stakeholders. Elsewhere in the city, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, Governors Island, the South Bronx Greenway, Pelham Bay South Waterfront Park, the Bronx River Greenway, and Gateway National Recreation Area are among many waterfront works in progress. The colloquium series will address selected topics and issues relating to what has been achieved and what remains to be done to continue the transformation of New York’s waterfronts.

1. Moderated by: Dr. Melissa Checker
Panelists: Robert Pirani• Kate Van Tassel • Miquela Craytor
Ambassador William J. vanden Heuvel • Nancy
Webster • Joshua Laird

2. Robert Pirani
Regional Plan Association & Governors Island Alliance

3. Governors Island
Turning the Tide
April 2010

14. History | Governors Island Today | Historic Images | Governors Island Tomorrow

15. History | Governors Island Today | Historic Images | Governors Island Tomorrow

16. History | Governors Island Today | Historic Images | Governors Island Tomorrow

19. Promenade:
14 acres
South Island Park:
40 acres
Historic District:
33 acres
National Monument
22 acres
Total: 109 acres

20. Encourage Early Uses and Visitation
Governors Island Visitors
300,000
250,000
Number of Visitors
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Year
Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation

21. Encourage Early Uses and Visitation

22. Plan the Parks First
June 12, 2004 Workshop
Briefing Book and Findings Report

23. Plan the Parks First

24. Plan the Parks First
Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation

25. Plan the Parks First
West 8 for Governors Island Preservation and Education
Corporation

26. Building Confidence for Redevelopment
EDUCATION
INSTITUTION
PARKS/
RECREATION
GOVERNORS
ISLAND HOTEL/
CONFERENCE
CENTER
ART/
CULTURE
Urban Strategies for Governors Island Preservation and
Education Corporation

27. Building Confidence for Redevelopment
$ 156 Million
committed to date for
transportation,
preservation, and
infrastructure repair
and rehabilitation

28. Building Confidence for Redevelopment

30. Robert Pirani
Executive Director
rob@rpa.org

31. Kate Van Tassel
New York City Economic Development Corporation
& Miquela Craytor
Sustainable South Bronx – South Bronx Greenway

32. South Bronx Greenway
Turning the Tide Series
April 7, 2010

33. South Bronx Greenway Master Plan
Upland connection
Waterfront connection
35
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

34. Phase I Project – Lafayette Avenue Streetscape
Anticipated Construction start: April 2010
36
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

35. Phase I Project – Lafayette Avenue Streetscape
37
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

36. Phase I Project – Lafayette Avenue Streetscape
38
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

37. Phase I Project – Lafayette Avenue Streetscape
39
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

38. Phase I Project – Hunts Point Landing
Anticipated Construction start: May 2010
40
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

39. Phase I Project – Hunts Point Landing
41
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

40. Phase I Project – Hunts Point Landing
42
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

41. Phase I Project – Hunts Point Landing
43
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

42. Phase I Project – Hunts Point Landing
44
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

43. Phase I Project – Hunts Point Landing
45
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

44. Phase I Project – Hunts Point Landing
46
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

45. Phase I Project – Hunts Point Landing
47
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

46. Phase I Project – Hunts Point/Spofford Avenue Streetscapes
Anticipated Construction start: Fall 2010
48
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

47. Phase I Project – Hunts Point/Spofford Streetscapes
49
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

48. Phase I Project – Food Center Drive
Anticipated Construction start: November 2010
50
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

49. Phase I Project – Food Center Drive
51
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

50. Phase I Project – Food Center Drive
52
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

51. Phase I Project – Randall’s Island Connector
Anticipated Construction start: July 2011
53
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

52. Phase I Project – Randall’s Island Connector
54
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

53. Phase I Project – Randall’s Island Connector
55
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

54. Phase I Project – Randall’s Island Connector
56
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

55. Phase I Project – Randall’s Island Connector
57
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

56. Phase I Project – Randall’s Island Connector
58
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

57. South Bronx Greenway Master Plan
Upland connection
Waterfront connection
59
NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

58. Ambassador
William J. vanden Heuvel
Four Freedoms Park

59. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Four Freedoms Park
Roosevelt Island, East River, New York

73. Nancy Webster
Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy

74. Brooklyn Bridge Park:
A World-Class Park for Brooklyn

75. 1.3 Miles of Downtown Brooklyn Waterfront

76. 85 Acres Opening Onto New York Harbor

77. Abandoned and Manufacturing Sites

78. A Community Vision Nurtured Over 20 Years

79. Political and Financial Commitment: May 12, 2002
• Self-Sustaining
• 80/20 rule
• Revenues devoted to park
maintenance and
operations
• All open space will be
protected as parkland
in perpetuity

80. Why Create A Self-Sustaining Park?
“The plan for Brooklyn
Bridge Park’s self-
sustainability, with limited
residential, hotel and small
retail portions, assures us
that New York City’s next
great park will never have
to suffer this kind of
degradation.”
— TUPPER THOMAS
President, Prospect Park Alliance

81. Milestones
1950s 2001
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey build Ribbon cutting at new City playground in Dumbo.
and operate Piers 1-5 as active rig bulk carriers
through 1983. 2002
Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg commit
1984 $150 million to the park and establish the Brooklyn
Port Authority announces plan to sell Piers 1-5 Bridge Park Development Corporation (BBPDC) to
for commercial development. build the park.
1986 2004
Downtown Brooklyn communities begin to develop Pier 6 added to park.
park plan for piers.
2005
1989 BBPDC proposes new Park Master Plan.
Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition (now Conservancy)
incorporated. Governor halts PA plan to sell piers. 2007
Floating Pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach
1998 becomes first interim use of piers area.
Downtown Brooklyn Waterfront Local Development
Corporation (LDC) created to develop master plan for 2010
piers 1-5. Piers 1 and 6 open.
1999
Coalition and LDC add interbridge area to park.

82. 2001: A Park Begins
• 12 acres of
revitalized land
• A promising start
• A chance to try
new ideas

83. The Conservancy
The Conservancy has worked
for 20 years to ensure the
creation, adequate funding,
proper maintenance, public
support, and citizen enjoyment
of Brooklyn Bridge Park through
partnership with the public
sector, development of
programming and active
promotion of the needs of the
park and its constituents.
The Brooklyn Bridge Park
Development Corporation is
the governmental agency
building and operating the park.
We’re more like the Prospect
Park Alliance or the City Parks
Foundation. At least we aspire to
be.

84. Helping Bring Life to the Park
© Etienne Frossard
Since 2000, more than 500,000 visitors
have enjoyed the Conservancy's free
public programs in the beginnings of
Brooklyn Bridge Park.
© Etienne

85. 2007: The Floating Pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach
PIER 1 Welcomed 192,675 Visitors
The Floating Pool Welcomed 71,664 Visitors
From 440 Zip Codes
From 175 Zip Codes,

86. 2008: PIER 1 Pop-Up Park
PIER 1 Welcomed 192,675 Visitors
From 440 Zip Codes,
Including 38 Brooklyn zip codes

87. March 22, 2010

101. Movies With A View
© Etienne Frossard

102. Waterfront Workouts

103. Boating
© Etienne Frossard

104. Education Programming served 1700 kids/families
© Etienne Frossard

105. Seining

106. Seahorses and More
© Etienne Frossard

107. Birdwatching with NY Audubon
© Etienne Frossard

108. Children’s Theatre

109. Harbor Camp

110. Cove Guide: 1st Nature Guide to Park

111. Stewardship: 3,400 hours caring for the park in 2009

113. Movies With A View is made possible by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy in partnership with the New
York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Natural Heritage Trust.
www.brooklynbridgepark.org

114. Joshua Laird
New York City Parks & Recreation

115. Turning the Tide
Seizing Opportunities: Waterfront Parks in Progress
New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
Joshua Laird
Assistant Commissioner for Planning & Parklands

116. Manhattan Waterfront Greenway

117. Manhattan Waterfront Greenway
Riverside Park South

118. Manhattan Waterfront Greenway
West Harlem Piers

119. Manhattan Waterfront Greenway
Harlem River Park

120. Manhattan Waterfront Greenway
East River Park

121. Brooklyn Bridge Park

122. Williamsburg & Greenpoint Waterfront

123. Williamsburg & Greenpoint Waterfront

124. Hunters Point South

125. IKEA Waterfront Esplanade

126. Bush Terminal Piers

127. Mill Pond Park

128. The High Bridge

129. Baretto Point Park

130. Bronx River
Hunts Point Riverside Park Concrete Plant Park

131. Street End Access
Grand Ferry Park, 1998
West 203rd Street, 2008
DeGraw Street, 2014?

132. Natural Area Restoration
Gerritsen Inlet, Marine Park
Hunter Island, Pelham Bay Park

133. Natural Area Restoration
Fish Monitoring, Arthur Kill
Gerritsen Inlet
Marsh Restoration
Saw Mill Creek Restoration

134. White Island
White Island Sand Delivery
Marine Park, Brooklyn

135. Public Beaches/Storm Protection
Orchard Beach, Bronx
Rockaway Beach, Queens Plumb Beach, Brooklyn

136. North & South Brother Islands

137. NYC Water Trail

138. Acquisitions
Waterfront Parkland Acquisitions 2002-2010
Blissenbach Marina, Staten Island
Bronx 60 acres
Brooklyn 83 acres
Manhattan 44 acres
Queens 55 acres
Staten Island 66 acres
Total 308 acres
Castle Hill, Bronx
Beach 88th Street, Rockaway, Queens

139. Future Waterfront Parks
Pelham Bay Landfill, Bronx

140. Future Waterfront Parks
Fresh Kills Park, Staten Island