The state today ended its turf war with the Bloomberg administration over two highly touted, but long delayed, waterfront projects by handing control of Brooklyn Bridge Park over to the city — with Governors Island to soon follow suit.
In an attempt to jumpstart the sprawling Brooklyn Bridge Park, state officials agreed to turn over control of the 85-acre plan in exchange for the city filling $55 million of the project’s roughly $120 million budget shortfall.
The city would dip into money set aside for the stalled Javits Center expansion, and Mayor Bloomberg said he could see another $30 million or so of the Javits pot going towards the redevelopment of Governors Island.
Bloomberg said talks with the state about a city takeover of the 172-acre island have been “good,” adding he’s “optimistic” a deal could soon be reached.
Peter Davidson, the state’s economic development chief, said a deal for Governor’s Island could be announced in the next few weeks.
Besides moving forward with plans to bring a grand system of parks to the island, the mayor said other possible uses could include extra space for educational institutions, research labs “or a consortium of different philanthropic organizations that wanted to work together.”
Three years ago, the mayor said his own philanthropic foundation was considering Governors Island to house a public health institute for scholars worldwide to study and exchange theories.
At the heart of the negotiations over the control of both projects is cash, or lack of it. The city and state share authority of both, and city officials wanted full control because they feel the state isn’t as financially committed based on its lack of prior funding.
The state was initially hesitant to give away bragging rights to both projects, particularly Brooklyn Bridge Park, which stretches from DUMBO through the Brooklyn Heights waterfront and has been in the works for more than 25 years.
Although city officials said they’ve yet to find another way to fund Brooklyn Bridge Park’s annual maintenance than the current plan to build high-rise condos there, the new deal gives local pols like state Sen. Daniel Squadron and Assemblywoman Joan Millman veto power over housing planned within the parkland.
But the city’s extra $55 million is contingent on a maintenance-funding source being in place – whether or not it’s new housing.
The battle over control pushed back the opening of the park’s first segments at Piers 1 and 6 in Brooklyn Heights, which was initially slated for late last year. Davidson said Pier 1 could now open within a month.
In 2006, the state-city entity overseeing Governors Island tossed out all proposals it had received from firms interested in redeveloping the former military outpost. Instead, it shifted focus towards first improving island access, creating new parkland and finding tenants for the historic buildings on the north end.
Netherlands-based West 8 in Dec. 2007 was selected to a draft a $200 million plan to create a 25- to 40-acre park on the southern end with incredible views of the Statue of Liberty, a 2.2-mile promenade encircling the island and pocket parks in the historic north end.
However, the grudge match over control has delayed by roughly a year the public review of that project’s master plan, sources have said.