Brooklyn Heights

With Pier 3 now unveiled, Brooklyn Bridge Park is almost complete

July 10, 2018 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Five new acres of lush parkland opened on Pier 3 in Brooklyn Bridge Park Tuesday, just in time for the dog days of summer. Eagle photo by Mary Frost
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Just in time for the lazy days of summer, Brooklyn Bridge Park cut the ribbon on Tuesday on 5 new acres of lush parkland on Pier 3, the final pier to be converted to parkland.

Unlike Piers 2 and 5, which are chockablock with basketball courts and soccer fields, Pier 3 is a place to kick back and relax, with a lush green lawn surrounded by groves of shrubs and trees. Nestled within the greenery at the north end is an interactive labyrinth, with fun elements like a walk-in kaleidoscope, an echo game, a “conference tube” and Gunter Beltzig stone seating. The outer grove is set with picnic tables and clustered Adirondack chairs, and there is a “hardscaped” area for small events and performances.

The opening brings the park to 90 percent complete.

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“Today is a great day for Brooklyn Bridge Park as we open Pier 3, the last pier to be transformed to parkland,” said Eric Landau, Brooklyn Bridge Park president. “We’re so excited to provide even more space for people to play and relax this summer. With Pier 3’s large central lawn and amazing labyrinth for children of all ages, Brooklyn Bridge Park just keeps getting better.”

Landau was joined by Deputy Mayor and BBP Board Chair Alicia Glen, NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, U.S. Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, state Sen. Brian Kavanagh, Councilmember Stephen Levin and Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy Executive Director Nancy Webster.

Some whimsical elements in the labyrinth include excavated bollards, conference tubes, a walk-in kaleidoscope and more. Photo by Nick Sella

“The opening of Pier 3 is not only a milepost for Brooklyn Bridge Park — it’s a major event for our city,” said Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen. “Brooklyn Bridge Park’s stunning views, cultural partnerships and recreational amenities have transformed the industrial waterfront, and offer a global model for urban park development.”

Officials called Pier 3 an important milestone for Brooklyn Bridge Park. State Sen. Brian Kavanagh noted that millions of people have already visited the park, adding, “Pier 3 will undoubtedly be another major draw that connects visitors with the East River Waterfront.

Councilmember Stephen Levin called 5 new acres of open space “a big deal.”

“It’s not a park until children, families, and New Yorkers from all over can come and make it their own — that long awaited day is today,” he said.

Designer Michael Van Valkenburgh, president and CEO of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. said, “The center of Brooklyn Bridge Park needs an embracing green space, and with Pier 3 we finally have it. The bowl-like lawn provides a serene interior that I think will draw people in, acting as a complementary counterbalance to the dynamics of river and city. Logs of locust are here and there to sit on and more.”

 


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