This just in: Mayor Bloomberg told reporters at his daily press briefing today that the city has the means to take over the stalled and underfunded state-run Brooklyn Bridge Park development — and turn it into a city park.
“The city [would] take over management and fiscal re- financial responsibility for Brooklyn Bridge Park and Governors Island and use monies that we’ve already put aside … for Javits,” the mayor said. “We would use that money to continue to develop these two things. … The city has more of an interest and I think the state government has their own problems. It’s a good deal for the state. If not, they can take them over or close them down.”
Few details emerged immediately after the mayor’s bombshell comment on Thursday afternoon, but state officials did confirm that the details are being negotiated at this time about transfering control of the 1.3-mile strip along the Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO waterfronts to the city — and, possibly, abandoning its controversial funding scheme that put housing and other revenue-generating operations inside the park footprint.
“The state and the city are literally working on [a deal] right now,” said Erin Duggan, a spokeswoman for Gov. Paterson.
State Sen. Daniel Squadron, who defeated a longtime incumbent last year largely on his opposition to housing and other commercial uses inside the park, issued a statement saying that he “will not stand” for a city takeover unless the project becomes “a real, world-class park” without housing.
Check back at BrooklynPaper.com for updates to this breaking story.
