Myrtle Avenue Pedestrian Plaza Officially Opens With Free Events

CLINTON HILL, NY — A pedestrian plaza on Myrtle Avenue that's been in the works for a decade officially opened last week.

The Myrtle Avenue Plaza, which added seating and public art to a three-block stretch, had its ribbon cut by officials on Thursday with the kick-off of a summer-long series of free events, according to the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership.

The 25,000-square-foot plaza, between Grand Avenue and Emerson Place, will host a series of events like yoga on Mondays, kids shows on Tuesday and live music on Wednesdays to celebrate the opening, according to the group. The series ends on Sept. 21 with yoga, a DJ and a line dancing party.

Planning for the Myrtle Avenue Plaza started in 2007 when the local business improvement district the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership first came up with the idea for the project, StreetsBlog reported.

Funding for the $6 million mall, paid for with city and federal grants, was secured in 2008, StreetsBlog reported. Plans for the project were approved by the city in 2013 and work was expected to finish that year, but problems with the bidding process pushed it back, DNAinfo reported.

Construction eventually started in 2014, but hit several snags along the way, until it finally finished at the beginning of the year, according to StreetsBlog.

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