Only longtime Brooklynites will remember the days before this war memorial was closed to the public. After being shuttered for 25 years, Cadman Park’s War Memorial is finally being renovated back to life. (more…)
The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) presented a plan to the Brooklyn Community Board 2 Transportation Committee on January 20, 2015 that proposes several updates to streets in Dumbo on 5 key street corners and sidewalk areas. As a result of a community walk-through organized by the Dumbo BID, DOT has developed this proposal to calm traffic, improve pedestrian safety, and improve pedestrian and bicycle access in the Dumbo neighborhood. The proposal fills gaps in the pedestrian network with new sidewalks and pedestrian spaces at underutilized roadbed locations, and accessible crossings. A two-way bicycle facility is also proposed on Jay Street.
The Community Board 2 Transportation Committee unanimously (with one abstention, 11-0-1) recommended that Community Board 2 support pedestrian safety improvements proposed by the DOT two weeks ago.
Streetsblog NYC reported that the DUMBO Improvement District director of marketing and events Kristin LaBuz attended the meeting, where the plan advanced to the full board in an 11-0 vote. “Though there is still much work to be done in the neighborhood,” she said, “we’re thrilled by DOT’s responsiveness to community concerns.”
The five areas for improvement are as follows:
York St and Washington St: build concrete sidewalk extension, mark parking lanes and bike route, and potentially add parking to the south curb.
Pearl St and Front St: build concrete neckdown and granite paver crosswalk
Pearl St and York St: build large concrete triangle island and painted pedestrian space, with two granite paver crosswalks
Jay St and Prospect St: build large curb extension on NE corner and neckdowns on NW and SE corners, mark crosswalk on the north leg. Potentially add parking along new concrete.
Jay St Corridor: mark contraflow bicycle lane between Prospect St and York St, mark two way shared lane between York St and John St.
In addition to the added safety for pedestrians and cyclists, the proposal adds approximately 15 parking spaces. DOT plans to begin construction on the project in August 2015.
The annual Dumbo Business Improvement District meeting will be held on Monday, December 8th from 5-6pm at Superfine (126 Front Street). The meeting will provide highlights in 2014 and upcoming neighborhood updates from elected officials, developers, and the business community.
The Annual Meeting is free and open to all. Registry by Member Class is a requirement of the DUMBO Improvement District.
Community Board 2 is hosting a public workshop on the “Brooklyn Strand”, the working name for 21 acres of underutilized and under-programmed parks and plazas that begins at the Brooklyn Bridge and extends through the center of Downtown Brooklyn to Brooklyn Borough Hall (or vice versa). The Brooklyn Strand includes Cadman Plaza, Walt Whitman Park, the Korean Veterans Plaza, Columbus Park, and various vacant municipal lots and lawns.
As part of the Brooklyn Tech Triangle strategic plan, which was unveiled in June 2013, these spaces have the potential to serve as a connecting point between two borough-wide destinations (Brooklyn Bridge Park and Downtown Brooklyn) and many neighborhoods (Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, Fort Greene, Downtown Brooklyn, etc.).
The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, in conjunction with the Mayor’s office, Brooklyn Bridge Park, NYC Parks, and City Planning have engaged the urban architecture firm WXY Studio to solicit feedback from the public to understand the current uses, wishes, and opportunities for the open spaces along the Brooklyn Strand. From their work with the stakeholders, WXY will create an action plan for the open space, with the goal of submitting a conceptual plan to the Public Design Commission in 2015.
The first annual New York Festival of Light (NYFOL) will come to Dumbo Brooklyn on November 6,7,8, 2014. The NYFOL 2014 Festival features a curated collection of lighting and art installations created by local and international lighting designers and performance artists and technologists who work within the medium of light.
The NYFOL is a non-profit art group whose vision is to create and provide a unique and delightful experience for residents and tourists; enhancing NYC’s architecture through interactive, static and projected lighting installations. The experience will be free and open to all ages. If you’d like to support the organizers to make this annual NYFOL a huge success, go to their Kickstarter campaign.
Dates & Times
Thursday November 6th: 7pm-11pm
Friday November 7th: 5pm – 11pm
Saturday November 8th: 5pm – 11pm
Location: Archway under the Manhattan Bridge and Pearl Street Triangle (Pearl & Water St)