The area directly beneath the Brooklyn Bridge at Water Street in DUMBO is currently an empty, fenced-in lot.
It seems to be a vast underutilization of the space, which is right beside the waterfront and offers an unencumbered view of the bottom of the massive bridge. Well, it’s actually going to be the final component of Brooklyn Bridge Park, and construction is set to start this fall.
The area will be turned into a two-acre park plaza, including walkways, greenery and benches, according to Curbed.com. The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the Park’s construction plans just last week.
Currently, pedestrians need to walk down and around the lot via a narrow sidewalk in order to get to the other side of the Park. Especially with the new considerations of maintaining social distancing, the expanded area that will connect DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights seems even more necessary.
Here’s what it looks like now:
And the proposed rendering:
The Park space will also honor the historic bridge — the shape of the new pathways will mirror the shape of the bridge directly above.
Dubbed “Brooklyn Bridge Plaza,” on the Park’s website they state that the space is “envisioned as the park’s grand civic space that will finally connect the DUMBO section of the Park north of the Brooklyn Bridge with the southern piers. Here the shoreline curves dramatically, enhancing views to the East River and Lower Manhattan.”
They said they hope to one day hold seasonal markets, festivals and educational programming within the space.
Construction is set to be completed in December 2021, which will mark the official completion of Brooklyn Bridge Park, which first started 10 years ago.
featured image source: Landmarks Preservation Committee / Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation