$8M upgrade of Downtown Brooklyn’s Fulton Mall begins
Improvements will make shopping strip greener, more pedestrian-friendly
This rendering shows a more attractive seating area, permeable pavers and bigger tree pits in front of Macy’s in Downtown Brooklyn. The improvements are part of a $8M streetscape upgrade starting this week. Rendering: DBP
DOWNTOWN — Work begins Thursday on an $8 million streetscape upgrade to the busy Fulton Mall shopping strip.
The Fulton Mall Streetscape Improvement Project aims to make Downtown’s Fulton Street — Brooklyn’s largest economic hub — greener and more pedestrian-friendly.
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, NYC Parks Department and the city’s Department of Transportation have been working together on the project. Funding was provided by the Mayor’s Office.
This photo shows the current seating area and plantings in front of Macy’s in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle
Parks will be enlarging planting beds and installing new trees, new benches and permeable pavers next to the curb on Fulton Street from Boerum Place to Flatbush Avenue.
The project’s construction will be split into nine phases, with work taking place only at night from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday to Friday, DBP said. Each phase will encompass two blocks. Phase 1, starting Thursday, will tackle the north side of Fulton Street between Boerum Place and Jay Street.
The streetscape project is expected to be completed by fall 2025.
“With new street trees, tree pits, and seating on the way to Fulton Street, Downtown Brooklyn is about to get even more beautiful,” NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said in July 2023 when the plans were first announced. “This project shows how multiagency collaboration and public-private partnerships can enhance our public spaces for the benefit of all New Yorkers.”
This photo shows the current seating area and plantings in front of Macy’s in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle
Part of a larger Downtown improvement plan
The Fulton Mall Streetscape Improvement Project is part of a larger $40 million city plan to improve Downtown Brooklyn’s streetscape, transportation and public space, including pedestrian and roadway user safety enhancements and improved bus service, announced by the city in 2023.
One goal is to shift Fulton Mall away from the old-school, car-centered model. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in the 2023 announcement that the improvements include wider sidewalks, protected bike infrastructure and dedicated bus lanes.
Some of the improvements planned for the Fulton Mall include new benches, new sidewalks, permeable pavers and expanded tree pits. Illustration: DBP
“Downtown Brooklyn has become a thriving mixed-use neighborhood, and these improvements will further enhance the downtown experience for shoppers, office workers, and residents alike,” Regina Myer, DBP president, said at that time.
Since its 2004 rezoning, Downtown Brooklyn has experienced “significant increases” in residential population, new businesses and jobs, DBP said. According to the Fulton Mall Improvement Association, the street attracts 100,000 visitors a day.
This bench-lined walkway is part of Columbus Park, the heart of Brooklyn’s Civic Center in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle
Group also wants to redesign Columbus Park
DBP has been working over the years on a larger, evolving “Public Realm Action Plan” with design firms including WXY architecture + urban design (WXY). As part of that vision, the groups want to redesign Columbus Park and Borough Hall Plaza, as well as Korean War Veterans Plaza, which they call underutilized.
In February 2024, a standing-room-only crowd gathered at Brooklyn Borough Hall for a workshop to weigh in on these plans.
The Fulton Mall project’s construction will be split into nine phases, with work taking place at night Monday to Friday. Map: DBP
SUNSET PARK — “As a resident of Marine Park, one of the great surprises I found biking around Industry City and visiting Japan Village was to discover Bush Terminal Park. I continue to be amazed at the serene hideaways that the city offers in some of the busiest places — and, still, with an iconic view.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — ‘A miracle that no one was killed …’ That’s what neighbors are saying about the collapse of the Hotel St. George marquee. Shown in this photograph are workmen beginning the removal and repair of the historic, old neon sign at the corner, referencing a relic of Brooklyn Heights’ past: the St. George Hotel.
ATLANTIC AVENUE — Exhausted shopper with cluster of bags and goods from mall at Boerum Place stops to look at huge construction site across the street. “Is that REALLY going to be a jail??” Her male companion is reassuring, “Nothing like Rikers … this is 21st Century.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Overheard in line at one of most popular pastry outlets on Montague Street: “Hope I can get them into a camp …” A mother with two pre-schoolers in tow was showing a friend the Dodge Y flyer for Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 18.
