The group pushing the borough’s planned greenway is giving “boosterism” new meaning.
Brooklyn business leaders want to raise a portion of the verdant bike path to create a seawall to protect parts of Sunset Park from future superstorms.
The Brooklyn Greenway Initiative — the private group designing the long, waterfront park running from Greenpoint to Bay Ridge — announced last week that it plans to incorporate a storm-surge-blocking seawall into the ambitious plan.
“We are looking to build something that would mitigate the impact of a storm surge,” the group’s co-founder Brian McCormick told a crowd of real estate and commercial luminaries at a Dec. 5 gala at Sunset Park’s Industry City, a 30-acre complex of industrial, office, and retail space along Brooklyn’s waterfront.
McCormick said that his group — along with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and Industry City — had applied for a grant for the project from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the semi-private company that serves as the city’s liaison to business.
The greenway advocate would not disclose details of the seawall design yet, pending the decision of funding, but said he expected to find out early next year if the project will receive financing.
“It’s in its concept phase now and we’re not prepared to discuss what it is, because we’re waiting for the funding,” McCormick said.
The new seawall design would only protect the Sunset Park stretch of the pathway, where Industry City logged some $30 million in damages during the Hurricane Sandy.
Current plans have the greenway running from Newtown Creek to Owl’s Head Park, and include a sprawling Bush Terminal Piers Park along the water next to Industry City, between 43rd to 51st streets. McCormick said he envisioned the greenway allowing more Brooklynites to bike or walk to work at the Sunset business hub, and offering pleasant park space to visit during lunch breaks.
The gala honored Industry City chief executive officer Andrew Kimball, who applauded the greenway plan and anticipated it reaching his area in the near future.
“I am honored to be recognized by the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative and look forward to working with them to extend the greenway to Sunset Park in the coming years,” Kimball said.
There is no date set for the completion of the path.
