CB10 approves major renovations to Shore Road Park Promenade

November 29, 2024 Jaime DeJesus

A rendering of the Shore Road Park Promenade renovations. Renderings courtesy of NYC Parks

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Community Board 10 unanimously approved the city Parks Department’s $21 million renovation plan for the Shore Road Park Promenade at the board’s on Nov. 24.

Parks representatives discussed the project. It includes nearly the entire length of the promenade in Bay Ridge, from the American Veterans Memorial Pier on 69th Street down to the Verrazzano Bridge.

“The walkways, bike paths, lawn areas and benches will get a complete redesign, including the addition of new amenities like workout equipment, gaming tables, a drinking fountain, viewfinder binoculars to look over the Narrows, and a brand-new overlooked terrace at the Verrazzano Bridge,” said Dan Hetteix of the Parks Department. “The stretch from the pier to 86th Street lacks shade trees entirely right now. The new strategy is to separate the bike and pedestrian bath with a strip of actual grass and trees. Not just tree pits.”

Shore Road Park Promenade. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks

The design is intended to add more shade and make the path more accessible for people with mobility issues. The project is part of the Park’s Department’s “Destination: Greenways!” initiative.

“At some points along the promenade, the lawn between the bike path and pedestrian paths will get pretty wide — upwards of 30 feet,” he said. “This will create dedicated lawn space for picnics and other recreational activities, which at the moment are impossible unless you want a picnic 10 feet away from a highway.”

New benches for pedestrians will be installed on the perimeter of this lawn. Also included will be space for wheelchairs. Every mile or so, the lawn strip will be interrupted by paved areas with game tables for pedestrians and bike racks for bicyclists.
The Parks Department hopes that by realigning the bike path to these wider sections, greenspace can be moved closer to the water and away from highway traffic.

The pedestrian overpass will also be revamped with more green space, and shrubs will be planted at the water’s edge along with more benches, game tables, improved lighting and the aforementioned binoculars.

The department also presented plans for the Leif Erickson Park Greenway, which runs from the northern edge of the park from Seventh Avenue to Third Avenue. The budget for this is $9 million.

The redesign includes repaving the entire greenway path with smoother asphalt, installing new lighting, installing signs showing the location of the greenway path, and replacing older trees with new ones.

The board also approved the project’s cost.