It took more than 25 years of planning, but the first segment of Brooklyn Bridge Park is finally set to open Monday along Pier 1 at Fulton Ferry Landing.
Gov. Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and other state and city officials will officially open the park with a ceremonial ribbon cutting, according to invitations distributed today. Pier 1 will include grassy hills, an esplanade overlooking the Manhattan skyline, and an elevated wine bar.
Another piece of the 85-acre waterfront park is expected to open at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Heights next month.
The Pier 1 opening, originally planned for late last year, was pushed back twice over squabbling between the city and state over who would run the park. The city will take control later this year through a deal reached last week in which city agreed to close $55 million of the park’s $120 million funding gap.
Over the years, officials hosted three so-called groundbreakings for work that never happened until construction finally started with little fanfare in 2008.
Judy Stanton, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, said the opening “is long awaited” and will give the neighborhood what it has wanted for decades – public access to the waterfront for recreation.
“This is fantastic,” she said.
Judi Francis, who leads a civic group fighting to keep housing out of the park, said “we’re thrilled that part of the park is finally opening and look forward to the day that the mayor says ‘no’ to housing at Pier 1 and other parts of the park.”
Brooklyn Bridge Park has been a political hot potato since project planners announced in December 2004 that more than 1,200 luxury condos would have to be included to raise enough money to offset the park’s now-estimated $16.1 million annual maintenance costs.
Only one high-rise offering 440 luxury units has been built; another 780 units are on hold because of the slumping economy.
Although last week’s deal between the state and city gives state Assemblyman Daniel Squadron and Assemblywoman Joan Millman veto power over the construction of housing, there is one big catch.
The city’s promise to fill $55 million of the project’s funding gap in exchange for control is contingent on enough park maintenance-funding sources being in place — whether or not it’s new housing.