About Brooklyn Bridge Park

Location: Brooklyn, New York
Owner: Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation
Designer: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc.

Brooklyn Bridge Park is an ambitious and visionary project to revitalize 1.3 miles (2.1 km) of Brooklyn waterfront with an array of open spaces that return the area to public use and create a sustainable and self-financed multi-use civic space.

Several goals guided development of the area, including returning the waterfront edge to Brooklyn, creating a multi-use civic space, and providing connections with adjacent neighborhoods. To accomplish these goals, more than 32 acres (13 ha) of park area have been created and structures have been built, including Pier 5, the park’s first active recreation pier, and Squibb Park Bridge, which provides a vital circulation link to the surrounding community and public transit.

The park receives no public funds for maintenance and operations. As part of an agreement between the city and the state that the park be financially self-sustaining, the project generates revenue through carefully placed development within its boundaries. For example, the park receives payments in lieu of taxes from One Brooklyn Bridge Park, a condominium located at Pier 6; a hotel and residential development to be built adjacent to Pier 1 will provide further support. Development projects such as these are a critical element of the park’s maintenance plan and will guarantee stable financial footing for the park for generations to come.