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While City And State Fight, New Yorkers Don't Get New Parks
By
Ben Muessig
Published Feb 1, 2010
Modified Feb 1, 2010
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By
Ben Muessig
Published Feb 1, 2010
Modified Feb 1, 2010
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The long-awaited plans to turn Governors Island into a public space and convert the piers beneath the promenade in Brooklyn Heights into Brooklyn Bridge Park have been set back by a lengthy squabble between the city and the state. Last spring, Mayor Bloomberg said he wanted full control of both projects, which are currently being jointly developed by the city and the state. He even offered $300 million in funding to get the projects, but thanks to "bureaucratic BS at its finest," the two sides have yet to reach a deal.
"Part of the problem is the state is leery about giving up control because it wants to be able to take credit when both projects are finally finished," an official who requested anonymity told the Post. The dispute delayed last year's planned opening of Brooklyn Bridge Park—an 85-acre, $350 million waterfront greenspace that's decades in the making. It also set back a public review of the plan to turn Governor's Island into parks and public space by about a year.
City and state officials won't say much about the hold-up, other than that they are still in negotiations. "We're continuing to work with the state to develop long-term governance and funding plans that will ensure the projects happen," said city spokesman Andrew Brent.
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