Dumbo NYC

Notes from the DUMBO, Brooklyn NY neighborhood


Pearl Street Triangle Unveiling Press Conference

August 7th, 2007

[Update: Aug 8 10:30am - Press Conference is Postponed due to the earlier storm.]


 Pearl St. Triangle Before and After, 8/2007 (Source: Dumbo Improvement District) [+ larger]

The Dumbo Improvement District is having a press conference with the City’s Department of Transportation on Wednesday to formally announce the creation of the Pearl Street Triangle in Dumbo. Here’s the press release:

Last winter, the Board of Directors of the Dumbo Improvement District unanimously adopted the BID’s 2007 Strategic Plan which included as one of its first major initiatives the transformation of a parking lot on Pearl Street into a vibrant pedestrian plaza and public art space. I’m happy to say that less than 6 months later this vision has been realized as you can see from the images below and attached.

Next Wednesday, August 8th at 12:30p.m., the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) will hold a press conference to formally unveil the Pearl Street Triangle, as part of their new public plaza initiative. Representatives from the administration will be on hand to hear remarks from DOT Commissioner Sadik-Khan. To accompany the announcement, music will be provided by halcyon the shop and food will be available from Brooklyn’s Brown, a mobile gourmet coffee and sandwich shop that plans to make the new Triangle a regular stop on their weekly route (www.brooklynsbrown.com).

Please join us for the annoucement so we can publicly thank the neighborhood for their assistance in this project and take a first hand look at what we have been able to accomplish. Hope to see you all there!

There are a lot of rumors on this blog about the Pearl Street Triangle, so if you have any questions, you can attend the press conference or post your questions in the comments below. I have one: There’s a rumor that this plaza is a pilot program. Is this true and will it possibly turn into a permanent installation with raised curbs or in-ground trees?

Oh by the way, did anyone else notice the new potted trees on the sidewalk along Pearl St?:

For commenter whosincharge?, it’s not in-ground trees, but it’s a start. That raises another question: Will there be in-ground trees along the sidewalk?

Previously:
{Pearl Street Triangle Moving Quickly, 28Jun07}
{Pearl Street Triangle Plaza Begins Work, 25Jun07}
{Pearl Street Triangle Survey, 28Mar07}

Filed in Dumbo Improvement, Pearl Street at 12:39 am
View Comments
  • Decking
    I have to agree with ‘nope’, the green paint looks hideous and the area looks very flat. I think to add more interest to the area you could have different levels by introducing something like wooden garden decking into the area and different types of creative seating. Permanent plants would also look pretty and add lots of different colours to the area.
  • dumbostreets
    It is a fine 1.0 version. I'm sure it will improve as more businesses open up in the area. I already see people hanging out there. I have no doubt it will be a successful initiative.

    My suggestion: instead of the green paint, why not invite painters in Dumbo to paint a 10x10 region of the island.
  • Rodney
    RE: Peter,
    > "The gallery owners must cringe when they have to see that obnoxious flourescent paint everyday."

    That'll balance out the cringe-inducing quality of the galleries in the neighborhood, then. Especially that Jan whatshisname spot.
  • Sasha
    I just dont see why they cant just put in some real grass instead of tennis court paint...how visionary
  • adam
  • adam
    only if the bikes get locked up and the police come around.

    *zing*
  • Steve Smith
    Since the ground is all green...Doesn't this mean only bikes are allowed inside 'The DUMBO Triangle' if they go in...will some mysteriously vanish?
  • Peter Sunwoo
    Someone should throw a small benefit to raise money and clean up the mess within that triangle. At least I could park before ;)
  • david
    This is a TEMPORARY design, a placeholder, to see how the plaza concept works out, so stop dissing on the design.
  • nope
    Yeah, I hardly thought wood decking would pass the grade but it's better than that green paint. I like the grassy area with stone walkways idea, that sounds nice. Maybe something with a mosaic tile. There are probably plenty of DUMBO artists who would interested in working on it.
  • Wood decking seems unlikely as it wouldn't stand up to the test of time or elements ... but certainly some type of raised/curbed grassy area (as opposed to grass colored paint) with tasteful stone walkways throughout seems reasonable (?) There are quaint little "mini-parks" like that scattered throughout the West Village and they're more idyllic and inviting because of the grass (and shade). having said that I think the existing triangle is a good jumping off point.
  • adam
    nope - Thanks for sharing your ideas. I think they're all very good. Hopefully tomorrow we'll learn more about plans to make the plaza permanent, which would be realistically required to implement any of those great ideas.
  • local
    do i understand this correctly?
    we are all invited tomorrow afternoon to attend this press conference? detractors, bums, et al?
  • nope
    Adam......sure.....first of all the paint is hideous. Seriously. Almost anything would be better than that. White paint? Wood decking? I don't know what the budget is, but there are plenty of options if you think creatively.

    The plants are beautiful but need to be permanent obviously. I suppose they plan to do that later. In the interim placing smaller lush plants around the bases of all those planters would help.

    Creating semi-private sitting areas would make it very inviting. Right now if you sit there you stick out like a sore thumb. Think Japanese garden style with DUMBO flavor. Use lush plants, chairs, benches, art, etc to create artsy semi-private sitting areas. Use natural elements like wood and water, perhaps little waterfalls, walkways, a small fountain with seating... things that contrast and somewhat absorb the starkness and noise.

    Add to that a few vendors with food, coffee, smoothies, etc and you've got yourself an inviting outdoor urban plaza where people might hang out.

    If someone ponies up a little dough a LOT could be done.
  • henry
    peter, i dont think you meant to say that the job was done efficiently at all, but rather the opposite? Perhaps a quick fix. To that regard, does anyone know if this is the final product or will there be modification?
  • adam
    "nope" - can you think of some things that could be done to make it more inviting?
  • Peter Sunwoo
    The triangle was definitely half-assed without any thought or artistic vision. We are supposed to be in the art district of Brooklyn. The gallery owners must cringe when they have to see that obnoxious flourescent paint everyday. I must say that efficiency is starting to become the adjective for DUMBO. I give 100 points for the efficiency involved in the creation of the park, but what good is a park when it looks like a lounge area for a McDonald's lot. Does anyone know how much it cost?
  • twc
    Its a great start. With time and perhaps a cafe of some kind it could become popular. Reopening the bridge pedestrian plaza would also help attendance. Either way its much better than a parking lot.
  • nope
    I think the "plaza" looks bare and uncomfortable. They're going to have to do a LOT more work to make it inviting enough to hang out in.
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