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“Columbus Park is a public space that is highly underutilized, except for the farmer’s market and the Brooklyn Book Festival,” Restler said. “The community desperately needs more park space. So Antonio and I got together and asked, how can we reimagine Columbus Park? I am really excited about this effort to reimagine the park — and rename it.”

WXY’s founding principal Claire Weisz presented a number of ideas the firm put together based on previous conversations with a 20-member task force, along with some basic ideas drawn from a study for the 2016 Brooklyn Strand proposal. 

The ideas and renderings in the presentation were meant to prompt discussion rather than recommend or influence a particular direction, a spokesperson for the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership emphasized.

WXY divided attendees into ten break-out groups at tables with large area maps, Post-it Notes, game pieces, printouts comparing Columbus Park and Korean War Veterans Plaza to other parks including Bryant Park and Union Square Park in Manhattan, and examples of potential redesigns. Already used to the format from previous workshops, including those for the BQE redesign, participants jumped in like pros.

Top takeaways

At the end of the discussion period, the designated note-takers shared the top five to ten takeaways from each group.

The most popular idea by far was turning a parking lot (at the corner of Joralemon and Adams streets) used for years by State Supreme Court judges back into park land, perhaps with an amenity like a playground built from natural materials as opposed to metal fixtures, a shady skateboard park or trees and gardens. 

The community may experience some friction from the judges about this, however, just as they did in 2008, when the Supremes agreed to no longer park their cars on the adjacent walkway (the former Old Fulton Street) and immediately seized the lot for their automobiles instead.

Other ideas included eliminating fences to make it easier to play and picnic on the grass, and building bathrooms. 

Many groups agreed on increasing shady areas and seating (perhaps with umbrellas), planting a variety of canopy trees, adding more sustainable garden space with natural pollinators, and creating more arts programming. 

The idea of a playground came up numerous times, with some suggesting it might work better closer to Tillary Street across from the Brooklyn Heights Library.

An idea presented by WXY calling for “pedestrianizing” Johnson Street got some support. Two tables suggested bringing in food trucks or kiosks. Others suggested creating a dog run (though some felt it wasn’t necessary), increasing roadway connectivity or incorporating a bike path.

What to do with the skateboarders — who are ensconced in the plaza directly in front of Borough Hall — was a dilemma. Some suggested moving them to a dedicated skate park in other locations, such as the judge’s parking lot or the Johnson Street area. Borough Hall Plaza “is not a safe space for pedestrians or skateboarders,” one table’s spokesperson said. Others, however, wanted to keep the skateboarders where they are.

But skateboarder Tamanda Msosa told the Brooklyn Eagle that the skateboarders are happy where they are, right next to the steps at Borough Hall, and would resist the move. The group began gathering there during COVID and has since formed a community, even giving classes. The location — with the Borough Hall steps for sitting while viewing the action, the lighting and plenty of space to gather safely in the open — made the plaza ideal, he said.

Positive reactions

“It was really encouraging and exciting to see so many people show up on a Monday night to talk about the future of this important public space!” Lara Birnback, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, told the Brooklyn Eagle. “The BHA has been participating in some of the early discussions as a member of the Task Force, but it is so important for as many people as possible from the community to weigh in directly. 

Birnback said she heard a lot of agreement across the groups “about the need to increase access to the park’s existing features like the lawns and the fountain, the desire to create new opportunities for recreation through play areas and additional seating, the addition of public bathrooms, and a real consensus about repurposing the judges’ parking lot into a space that actually benefits parkgoers. While many of us who live here only know Columbus Park in its current form, this area has gone through numerous transformations in the past and there’s no reason we can’t do it again.” 

She added, “And, note to DCAS — please get that scaffolding off of the Supreme Court Building. It has blighted the park for too long already!”

“As it is, I think [the park] is a very poor use of space,” said Heights architect James Koster. “There’s so much area covered by trees and lawns that have a low iron rail which, even if you can hop over it, it means you’re not supposed to … You could make much more use of the space, and I think the presentation tonight basically showed that.

“My principal reason for being here tonight is to make sure that whatever we do, it honors, respects and create a proper foreground for one of New York City’s finest classical buildings,” Koster added. “Borough Hall is a national landmark, it is an exceptional little building, and we need to preserve the foreground for it so it has the presence a classical building like this should have, as opposed to putting some amorphous playground right in front of it.”

Don’t overdo the re-do

Other attendees were concerned about not overdoing the re-do.

Doreen Gallo, president of the Cadman Park Conservancy, emphasized that Columbus Park should remain a “significant Civic Center,” and the idea of “activating” Korean War Memorial Plaza seemed inappropriate. “While parts of the existing park can use attention, the park remains naturally activated and that’s its magic. It’s a civic center, not Albee Square,” she said.

What is really important is funding existing parks, she said. “We need 1% funding for NYC Parks to properly maintain and staff our city parks. Hopefully, this will be a leading priority of our elected officials.”

Gallo added, “Native, pollinator planting from Columbus Park to Cadman Plaza Park and every open space in between is a beneficial and immediate measure we could implement right away.” But she agreed that the area of the judges’ parking lot “needs attention.” 

Others, including Brooklyn Heights resident Jeff Smith, voiced some doubts about removing or moving the numerous monuments and memorials in the park, especially the statue of Christopher Columbus, and renaming the park. The statue was important to the Italian-American community, he said.

Following the workshop, a Parks spokesperson said the department is always open to hearing creative ideas and community input about future concepts for parks.

Restler told the Eagle last week, “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.”

The 20-member task force including local elected officials, representatives from the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, MTA and DOT, CB2 and CB6, the Montague BID and Court-Livingston-Schermerhorn BID, NYU Tandon, Michael Van Valkenburgh, the Prospect Park Alliance, Grow NYC, BRIC, the Hope Program for job training, and the Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill Associations.

In 2016, Parks completed a $9,585,000 reconstruction of the pavement at Columbus Park, with funds from the Borough President and the Mayor’s Office.

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