PA commissions $85M for Brooklyn Bridge Park project.

The Port Authority Board of Commissioners has committed $85 million for the planning, design and construction of Brooklyn Bridge Park, which will be built on surplus piers that will be donated to the state.

The 63-acre property, known as Brooklyn Piers 1, 2, 3 and 5, will be donated by the Port Authority to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation (BBPDC), an Empire State Development Corporation subsidiary responsible for the park's design and construction. The Port Authority and BBPDC will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the property transfer and funding.

"Brooklyn Bridge Park will be a world-class park in a world-class borough," said Governor George E. Pataki. "When completed, the park will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with such New York City jewels as Prospect Park and Central Park."

In the early 1980s, the Port Authority determined that the piers were no longer needed for their original maritime use given the evolution of much of the maritime trade to containerization. In 1994, the Port Authority officially declared the property as surplus. In 1997, the Downtown Brooklyn Waterfront Local Development Corporation was formed to develop an illustrative master plan for the park. That plan, completed in 2000, provides the basic framework for the current park planning and design.

In May 2002, Pataki and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the formation of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation and committed $85 million in state funds and $65 million in New York City funds towards the park's construction.

"We continue to make enormous progress in the continuing construction of Brooklyn Bridge Park, which will be the biggest park to be built since Prospect Park once it is completed," said Bloomberg. "We are committed to working with the State on the design and development of this major park that will allow New Yorkers to reclaim Brooklyn's waterfront, and I want to thank the Governor and the Port Authority for their ongoing support."

The Environmental Impact Study on the park plan began earlier this year. The transfer of title is expected to occur upon completion of the study.

Since 1995, the Port Authority has invested nearly $34 million to maintain the physical integrity of the piers in anticipation of the park's future development. An additional $8 million is included in the Port Authority's current five-year capital plan to complete this state-of-good-repair program, according to Joseph J. Seymour said, port authority executive director.

"This funding commitment will ensure that an underutilized property will have a new role as a vital and active part of New York harbor's waterfront, attracting residents and tourists alike to a beautiful new waterfront park with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline," said Anthony R. Coscia said, Port Authority chairman.