The Narrows Waterfront Park A Crown Jewel for Southern Brooklyn
In New York, the unquestioned popularity of urban spaces such as Riverside Park, the High Line, Brooklyn Bridge Park and others has demonstrated the incredible drawing power and civic value these public areas can have. And although Southern Brooklyn doesn’t currently possess such a space, I want to change that.
My vision is to create a Narrows Waterfront Park that quickly becomes one of Southern Brooklyn’s most beloved landmarks — a destination for visitors, a gathering-place for residents and a source of pride for all New Yorkers.
Right now, there is no “Narrows Waterfront Park.” There is only a loose collection of public walkways, bike paths and patches of grass and trees along the waterfront between Bay Ridge and Coney Island. Beyond the fact that it is difficult to access, the waterfront-facing space is full of potholes, garbage and eyesores. It is neither inspiring nor representative of Brooklyn in 2018.
My plan is to design a unified park which encompasses this entire area. Using a community-driven visioning process, we will expand and improve the existing elements, such as the Narrows Botanical Gardens, Shore Road Park, Bensonhurst Park, Calvert Vaux Park, the Belt Parkway Bike Path and the grounds at Bay 8th Street. We will install new safety features and amenities, and we will introduce new initiatives to bring the community together.
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Specific actions we will take include:
● Building out the 13-acre Bay 8th St. expanse as a full park with pathways, benches, tables, comfort stations, trees and other amenities. The Narrows Waterfront Park’s crown jewel.
● Enhancing new and existing park spaces with exciting features such as exercise equipment for people of all ages; designated “dog park” areas; playgrounds for children; skate and rollerblade parks; food truck accommodations, water fountains, restrooms, and more.
● Updating and augmenting bike and pedestrian paths from the 69th St. Pier in Bay Ridge to Caesar's Bay in Gravesend. Continuous traffic barriers and flood protections will be added to all stretches of the Belt Parkway which abut the waterfront area. Small piers and docks will extend out from along the pathway to allow for fishing and recreation.
● Improving waterfront-to-park connections with additional overpasses and bike ramps to create a unified park network between Shore Road Park, Dyker Beach Park, Bath Beach Park, Bensonhurst Park, and the waterfront.
● Fostering community engagement and tourism with seasonal and holiday events such as outdoor movies, street festivals and fireworks.
● Adding a connection to Coney Island (down Shore Parkway along the Belt Parkway).
● Upgrading Caesar’s Bay with beautified green spaces and a pier with ferry access for this area underserved by mass transit. Also, creating a separate bike path from the Verrazano Bridge to Caesar’s Bay.
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● Adopting safety and resiliency measures such as raised berms to help contain storm surges (similar to plans for NY Rising).
● Spotlighting the Narrows Botanical Garden and adding botanical and community garden elements elsewhere in the park.
● Showcasing local artists with both permanent and rotating public art installations by professional artists and art school students.
The new Narrows Waterfront Park will have a tremendous impact on Southern Brooklyn, and New York City as a whole. Much like the High Line and Brooklyn Bridge Park, it will be a park that is simultaneously a destination and an attraction.
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Building Southern Brooklyn’s Crown Jewel
The goal of the Narrows Waterfront Park project is to create a vibrant public space along the entire Shore Parkway waterfront path, from the 69th Street Pier in Bay Ridge to the Caesar’s Bay complex on Bay Parkway in Bath Beach, as well as establishing a connection to Coney Island along the portion of Shore Parkway running through Gravesend. The project would draw on aspects of other new waterfront parks, such as the Hudson River Park, combining new community gathering spaces, outdoor leisure activities, dedicated paths for pedestrians and cyclists, and resiliency measures which would deter flooding and mitigate its effects.
Similar to current efforts to revitalize the Brooklyn waterfront from Newtown Creek to Owl’s Head Park through the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, the new Narrows Waterfront Park will seek funding from the New York State Department of State Local Waterway Revitalization Program.
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Along the entire Narrows Waterfront, elements that would be implemented would include: ● Water fountains along the entire route ● Continuous traffic barriers along all stretches of roadway that abut the waterfront area ● Bike access ramps along all pedestrian bridges (Bay Ridge at 81st St, Bay Ridge at 92nd St, Dyker Beach at Bay 8th St, Bath Beach at 17th Ave) ● Beautification and improvements to connections between the Narrows Waterfront and existing park spaces on the other side of the Belt Parkway (Shore Road Park, Dyker Park, Bath Beach Park, Bensonhurst Park) ● Small piers/docks extending along the Narrows Waterfront ● Repair of park benches along the Narrows Waterfront, as well as installation of other forms of seating ● Historical information postings
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Separated/dedicated pedestrian and bike lanes would be created or improved along the following sections of the Narrows Waterfront, including storm flooding protection features: ● Create new separated/dedicated paths from the 4th Ave - Bay Ridge access point to the point 0.44 miles south of that where separated paths currently exist ● Improve existing separated/dedicated paths from point 0.44 miles south of 4th Ave - Bay Ridge access point to the Bay 8th St overpass ● Create new separated/dedicated paths from the Bay 8th St overpass to Caesar’s Bay at Bay Parkway
www.andrewgounardes.com
www.andrewgounardes.com
Denyse Wharf restoration and improvements; an historical site dating back to the Revolutionary War.
Creation of a new Dyker Beach Park in the 13 acre expanse west of the Bay 8th St overpass. ● Elements of the new park would include: ○ Comfort station ○ Paths ○ Lawns ○ Public art ○ Park benches ○ Picnic benches/tables ○ Landscaping features (trees, shrubbery, plants, flowers) ● Other possible upgrades might include ○ Added vehicle parking with food truck access ○ Dog park ○ Playground features ○ Exercise equipment
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Improvements to the Caesar's Bay area would include: ● Improvements to the existing ball fields ● Upgrades to the existing lawns and surrounding paths ● Renovation of existing vehicle parking area ● Creation of a Caesar's Bay pier w/ ferry access ● Beautification of the Caesar's Bay - Bay Parkway plaza
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Creation of a new connection from Caesar's Bay to Coney Island would include: ● A separated/dedicated bike lane, protected from vehicle traffic ● Improvements to existing pedestrian walkways/paths
www.andrewgounardes.com
www.andrewgounardes.com