Accessible Bathrooms, New Bridge: These Park Slope Projects Won $1.5M

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — The results are in, and Park Slopers chose to spend over $1 million in government funds on public school bathroom upgrades, a bridge refurbishment project, new community art spaces and more.

City Council Member Shahana Hanif recently announced the six winners of her office's participatory budgeting program, which gave residents the chance to decide how to spend $1.5 million on neighborhood projects.

With over 1,400 votes, one project was a clear winner: accessibility upgrades to the bathrooms at a District 39 elementary school, at a cost of $300,000. Restoring the Esdale Bridge at Prospect Park and transforming several empty storefronts into community art spaces were among the other winners.

Here's the full list of winning projects:

Capital project winners

Modernize Bathrooms at PS 154 (1,428 votes)

• Location: PS 154 at 1625 11th Avenue in Windsor Terrace
• Cost: $300,000
• Description: "Upgrade two bathrooms at PS 154 to alleviate inaccessibility concerns to better accommodate students"

Restore the Esdale Bridge at Prospect Park (1,107 votes)

• Location: Prospect Park
• Cost: $500,000
• Description: "Restore and maintain the rustic Esdale Bridge, which serves as the entrance to the Prospect Park Ravine"

"Big Yard" Upgrades at PS 107 (1,009 votes)

• Location: PS 107 at 1301 8th Avenue in Park Slope
• Cost: $500,000
• Description: "Rejuvenate the "Big Yard" for improved daily use of the only outdoor space for 480 students at PS 107"

Expense project winners

Youth Organizing for Menstrual Equity. Period. (817 votes)

• Cost: $7,000
• Description: "Create youth-led workshops for middle-schoolers to discuss period stigmatization, medical racism"

Art Spaces in Vacant Places (803 votes)

• Cost: $15,000
• Description: "Convert three empty storefronts or unused locations in District 39 into community arts spaces "

Nature Walks for Neighbors with Dementia (745 votes)

• Cost: $20,000
• Description: "Guided nature walks in Prospect Park for neighbors living with dementia and their care partners"

Hanif was among 14 Council members who ran a participatory budgeting round this year, following in the footsteps of now-Comptroller Brad Lander, who launched the program in 2011 while serving was District 39's City Council Member.

As a former Lander staffer, Hanif has participated in running the budgeting program in the past, and said that implementing it this year in the wake of the pandemic was particularly important.

"Now more than ever as we recover from a global pandemic and seek ways to reinvest in our communities to address and end systemic racism in our City," she said.

"We must center budget justice which I believe comes from direct engagement and co-governance with youth, our undocumented and immigrant neighbors, and neighbors impacted by the lack of parks, litter baskets, arts programming, and more."

Patch editor Nick Garber contributed to this report.