A massive plaza next to the Brooklyn Bridge could become a rec center

Spectacularly scenic 100K sq. ft. space used as parking lots for years

January 8, 2024 Mary Frost

The Old Fulton Street Yard section of Anchorage Plaza, located on the Fulton Ferry side of the Brooklyn Bridge, is included in the RFP. The Olympia DUMBO condo rises in the background. Eagle photo by Mary Frost

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DUMBO — The clock is officially ticking to submit proposals for the temporary transformation of Anchorage Plaza — a long-neglected but spectacularly scenic area of DUMBO right next to the Brooklyn Bridge.

The New York City Parks Department issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Jan. 2, and will accept submissions until Feb. 13 at 3 p.m., according to spokesperson Chris Clark. An online meeting about proposals will be held on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

Anchorage Plaza has been used as a DOT parking lot for 14 years.

Parks is looking for someone to provide fun activities like paddleball and other types of recreation, public art or performances, a dog run, or food and beverage services, and the RFP includes the option to operate up to three mobile food units.

Ash Alley, which runs under the Brooklyn Bridge. Eagle photo by Mary Frost

In April of 2023, Parks asked for initial suggestions for the 100,000-square-foot site. It received responses including pickleball fields, a dog run, cafes, a farmers market, art display space, micro mobility parking, an amphitheater and adventure playground, according to Brooklyn Bridge Parents.

The plaza, which has been used by the city’s Department of Transportation as a parking lot and staging area for bridge work since 2009, consists of three sections between Washington and Old Fulton Streets: the Old Fulton Street Yard, the Washington Street Yard, and Ash Alley, an alley below the Brooklyn Bridge connecting both yards.

Parks doesn’t have an estimate yet as to when the concession would be up and running, since it depends on what proposal is selected, Clark told the Brooklyn Eagle.

“We’re excited to see Anchorage Plaza reach its full potential as a vibrant public space, and we look forward to reviewing proposals to bring creative activations to this slice of Downtown Brooklyn,” he said.

Washington Street Yard, part of Anchorage Plaza. (Shown here: the eastern section of the yard.) Eagle photo by Mary Frost

DOT has used the plaza as a parking lot for so long that many locals were surprised to learn the land actually belonged to Parks — including DOT employees at the Washington Street Yard, who told this reporter in April, “You must have the wrong lot.”

Anchorage Plaza “has tremendous potential as a public space with seasonal amenities,” NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said when Parks released its Request for Expressions of Interest in April. “With its stunning views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline, Anchorage Plaza is a prime location for creative activations.”

“It’s an amazing space and an opportunity — there’s tons of awesome uses that could come into play,” Alexandria Sica, executive director of the DUMBO Business Improvement District said at that time. “From a junkyard playground, to a sculpture garden to a magical cafe, it could be a gathering spot and anchor to our community.”

The NYC Parks Department has put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the “temporary activation” of Anchorage Plaza, which has been used as a DOT parking lot for 14 years. The plaza consists of three sections straddling the anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge. Photo courtesy of the NYC Parks Department.

Some DUMBO stakeholders, however, were worried that the offering may result in yet another tourist magnet in an area that is already overwhelmed with crowds.

Washington, Fulton and Main streets are often clogged with pedestrians and traffic during warm weather as illegally-parked ice cream trucks and other vendors cater to the thousands of tourists spilling into Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Washington Street Yard, part of Anchorage Plaza. Eagle photo by Mary Frost

Now, with vendors kicked off the Brooklyn Bridge walkway as of Jan. 3, dozens of them have set up shop on the Washington Street sidewalk next to the Anchorage Plaza site — alarming members of the DUMBO Action Committee, who have brought up concerns about propane tanks running overnight and potential explosion ramifications, one member of DAC told the Eagle on Sunday.

Doreen Gallo, president of the DUMBO Neighborhood Alliance and the Cadman Park Conservancy, said she discovered that Anchorage Plaza was designated as parkland in the spring of 2021 during a walkthrough with DOT staff and former area Councilmember Stephen Levin.

Vendors cover the fence surrounding the Washington Street Yard with merchandise for sale to the armies of tourists walking past. Eagle photo by Mary Frost

While the RFP is for a temporary contract (three years with a possibility for an extension to six years), in the long run, “There should not be a whole development in front of one of the wonders of the world,” Gallo said in April. “We have to make sure we don’t construct anything blocking the view of the Brooklyn Bridge or turn it into a circus. Almost every other view of the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO is obstructed.”

Eventually the area will be incorporated into the final footprint for the reconstruction of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.