Greenpoint and Williamburg Youth Soccer League Calls for Sale of Waterfront Land to City

Pictured: A portion of Bushwick Inlet Park. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — A local youth soccer league has started an online petition calling for businessman Norman Brodsky to sell his Williamsburg waterfront land to the city so it can be joined to Bushwick Inlet Park.

The petition, created by the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Youth Soccer League, had garnered nearly 350 signatures as of Wednesday morning, more than half of the way to its goal of 500.

"Norm, you could have a great legacy in our community by accepting New York City's exceedingly generous offer to purchase the City Storage site," the petition reads.

The league uses the existing Bushwick Inlet Park for soccer games participated in by 1,200 families, according to the petition.

"NORM, WILL YOU PLEASE ACCEPT THE CITY'S OFFER, AND CREATE A POSITIVE LEGACY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IN OUR COMMUNITY?" the missive concludes.

Brodsky, the founder of CitiStorage, owns 11 acres west of Kent Street between North 10th Street and North 11th Street.

In early June, the city offered Brodsky $100 million for the parcel so it could be added to Bushwick Inlet Park, part of an effort to grow the green space to the full 28 acres promised to the community in 2005 under the Michael Bloomberg administration.

But Brodsky reportedly rejected the deal, and is looking to sell the land to the highest bidder.

Estimates of its value have ranged from $73 million to $180 million, though Brodsky appears to believe it could be worth as much as $300 million.

Paul Massey, a real estate agent with Cushman and Wakefield handling the transaction, has not responded to comment requests from Patch.

Even if the land is sold privately, the city could attempt to seize it using eminent domain, though the parcel's owner would then have to be paid its new market value.