Mayor de Blasio Celebrates a Bushwick Inlet Park 'We Can All Be Proud Of'

By Kings County Politics:

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday joined the city Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, Council Member Steven Levin, Borough President Eric Adams, Assembly Member Joseph Lentol, Congress Members Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velazquez, State Senators Daniel Squadron and Martin Malave Dilan, and Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park to celebrate the City’s acquisition of the final parcel of land in Bushwick Inlet Park.

The $160-million purchase of the 11-acre former CitiStorage site allows the City to realize its vision for a complete, 25.4-acre park.

"Our administration keeps its promises. When we commit to build a new park or a new school in a growing community, we deliver," said de Blasio. "Today we celebrate – and tomorrow, we look forward to working with all these dedicated local officials, activists and residents as we design and build a Bushwick Inlet Park we can all be proud of." The full transcript of the mayor's remarks can be found here.

The CitiStorage site is one of six parcels that make up Bushwick Inlet Park, the centerpiece of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Waterfront. Already, 3.5-acres of the park are complete and open to the public, featuring a multi-purpose field and a building for community activities with a state-of-the-art green roof which doubles as a seating area.

"Mayor de Blasio acknowledges this is the community's victory. Historic," wrote Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park, the community group that fought for over a decade for the park, in a Facebook post. "We are immensely grateful to him, our amazing elected officials, our supporting organizations, and all of the volunteers and community members who pitched in to achieve."

"A completed Bushwick Inlet Park is the gift that will keep on giving. This is a present for our future, a healthier and happier future for the advocates and longtime residents who fought so hard for the open space equity they deserve," said Adams.

"This is a big deal," said Levin. "The community has been eagerly anticipating the final step on the path to a completed Bushwick Inlet Park for decades — now the wait is over."

"For over a decade, this community has worked towards a full Bushwick Inlet Park, and this land purchase means we’re on our way to a world class park on the Greenpoint and Williamsburg waterfront — our Harbor Park, a Central Park for the center of our city," said Squadron.

"Any open space is a welcomed addition in Brooklyn, but the dedication of advocates who fought long and hard to complete Bushwick Inlet Park has been inspiring," said Dilan.

Photo credit: Kevin Case/Flickr/CC by 3.0