NEW YORK—New York City Council has allocated $3.5 million in capital funding for the development of a Brooklyn Bridge Beach in Lower Manhattan.
The figure matches the $3.5 million allocation made by the office of the Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer.
The new beach is part of the city’s East River Blueway Plan to develop Manhattan’s coastline from the Brooklyn Bridge up to East 38th Street.
Speaking at a press conference down under the Brooklyn Bridge on Aug. 1, Council Speaker Christine Quinn said the council wants to follow the example of successful projects, such as the Hudson River Park. “We learned on the west side to get every bit of money you can, and go as quickly as you can,” she said.
She said the city intended to implement the Blueway Plan in increments, completing different parts as money became available. The $7 million would be used as a down payment toward developing the 11,000-square-foot Brooklyn Bridge Beach.
The plan for Brooklyn Bridge Beach is to have a widened esplanade with terraced seating, tree-lined well-lit walkways, fishing piers, boat ramps, and access to the beach.
“It will help spur economic growth, something that, post-Sandy, is extremely important,” Quinn said.
Stringer said they are also hopping to get state and federal funding, including some of the $15 billion the city has been allocated to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
The beach would also include some measures to mitigate flooding and protect nearby communities, Stringer said.
When asked, both Quinn and Stringer did not say how much it would cost in total to build the beach or how much time it would take to complete.
