The median along Boerum Place won’t be the ugly stepsister to Adams Street’s beautifully leafy traffic divider for much longer — thanks to a $3.6-million makeover of Boerum Place from Fulton Street to Atlantic Avenue.
Those who work in busy Downtown are looking forward to seeing green.
“I prefer the greening of New York anytime,” said Mimi Rosenberg, who works across the street from the unsightly Boerum Place center divider. “This is a very ugly strip and it would be a welcome relief from the heat, the dust, and the fumes if there was some greenery.”
A walk down Adams Street can be a picturesque break from the daily grind of Downtown Brooklynites, but below Fulton Street, the wide traffic divider narrows to a tiny strip. The shady trees and green shrubs that separate the lanes of traffic on Adams Street are nothing but cracked, uneven pavement below Fulton.
But change is coming, though there won’t be shovels in the ground for about a week, according to the city Economic Development Corporation, which is overseeing the work.
The one-year project will also include new fire hydrants, new drainage systems, and some minor utility work.
Three lanes of traffic are to be maintained in each direction during construction, and community officials have been reassured that keeping traffic moving is a priority.
“They will try to maintain as normal a traffic flow as possible,” said Community Board 2. District Manager Rob Perris.
There will be restricted parking while work is being done and temporary bus stop relocation.
More than two-thirds of the $3,644,000 cost of the project was allocated by Mayor Bloomberg, and nearly $1 million came from Borough President Markowitz’s capital budget. Markowitz said he is proud to support the development of Downtown and “enhance the pedestrian experience.”
Some of his constituents agreed heartily.
“Beautification always helps,” said Clinton Hill resident Charles Simmons. “Alleviating the site of concrete and potholes would greatly enhance the neighborhood.”
