Redesign eyed for Brooklyn’s Columbus Park

The space has been used for rallies, festivals and markets.

February 14, 2024 Mary Frost

This bench-lined walkway is part of Columbus Park, the heart of Brooklyn’s Civic Center in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

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DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A group of elected officials and business, civic and educational organizations have been brainstorming ideas to reimagine Columbus Park, the heart of Brooklyn’s Civic Center.

Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Councilmember Lincoln Restler, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and the WXY Studio design firm will soon hold a workshop to air their ideas and get input from residents. The workshop will take place at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Monday, Feb. 26 from 6-8 p.m.

Skateboarders practice their jumps in front of Brooklyn Borough Hall in Columbus Park. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

Columbus Park extends from Brooklyn Borough Hall’s steps, past a fountain, gardens and the New York State Supreme Court building, to the Henry Ward Beecher monument at Johnson Street. It also includes a parking lot used by judges at the intersection of Joralemon and Adams streets. The park is part of the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District.

“Starting two months ago, Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and I formed a task force on Columbus Park,” Councilmember Lincoln Restler told the Brooklyn Eagle.

A farmers market takes place in Columbus Park several days a week. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

“It includes 25 civic leaders, universities, businesses and cultural organizations, mostly from the area, giving input on how to reimagine mostly-underutilized park space. We had a couple of meetings attended by the WXY design firm, and there will be a public workshop at Brooklyn Borough Hall to share ideas from the community on February 26,” Restler said. “We are excited about it.”

One of the ideas includes transforming the parking lot currently used by judges. “It is actually parkland,” Restler pointed out. “We want more spaces for kids and families — more of an actual park.”

The task force is looking into alternate parking for the judges nearby, he said. “They do important work, but we shouldn’t be giving up parkland for judge parking, because Downtown Brooklyn has very few parks.”

Columbus Park is often the staging area for rallies, marches and protests, like this Black Lives Matter march in 2020. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

One possibility for the parking lot could be a skateboard park, Restler said. Currently, pedestrians navigating Borough Hall Plaza have to navigate their way through bands of skateboarders after school and on weekends.

He added, “We still need to figure out cost and funding sources, but hope there will be real momentum and enthusiasm from the community to help carry this forward.”

People can RSVP for the meeting here.