Funding

Funding for Greenway planning in Community Boards 1, 2 and 6 has been provided through a grant by the NYS Department of State Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, sponsored by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

Additional support for Greenway planning has been provided by the Brenner Family Foundation, The Carlson Family Foundation, ConEdison, Independence Community Foundation, The J.M. Kaplan Fund, LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Merck Family Fund, New York Community Trust and New York Foundation.

In order to make the Greenway a financially practical proposition, Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (BGI) authored the idea of incorporating the Greenway into all capital programs along the waterfront. This strategy avoids a single massive appropriation and enhances the design of all capital projects by incorporating a continuous public access route – the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway – in their design, funding and construction.

The Greenway will be built gradually, segment-by-segment. At the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation has agreed to set back its fences and NYC DOT will extend curbs 6 to 10 feet to create the Greenway right-of-way. The NYC Department of Transportation will build a portion of the Greenway during the reconstructions of Kent Avenue and Columbia Street. The Greenway is also included in the Brooklyn Bridge Park Master Plan. Along Piers 7-12, BGI is working with NYC Economic Development Corporation to secure the 30-foot right-of-way along the inland perimeter of the pier uplands.

Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez secured $14.6 million for the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway in the 2005 TEA-LU reauthorization. See the full press release. Congresswoman Velázquez also secured $200,000 for design of the Greenway through Vinegar Hill and around the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

An additional $3 million in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funding has been allocated for Greenway construction at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.