More Than Two Acres of Public Space Returned to Lower Manhattan
The ongoing project to return more than a dozen acres of parkland to public use alongside the Brooklyn Bridge took a giant leap forward on June 5, when Mayor Eric Adams hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony that opened roughly 90,000 square feet of plaza space. This more than triples the original, one-acre debut of Gotham Park two years ago. The newly opened plaza is part of the Arches, a series of 53 curved spans, set atop columns that form part of the Brooklyn Bridge’s anchorage.
Mayor Adams said, “public space in this city is precious. Today, we return two more acres of public space back to the local Chinatown community at the Arches, giving New Yorkers more outdoor space to exercise, engage with others, and enjoy. We are also investing $50 million in funding to bring this space back to life, and transform it into a lively, inclusive space for friends and neighbors to come together – welcoming New Yorkers from all walks of life.”
Rosa Chang, the Lower Manhattan community leader who co-founded (and serves as president of) Gotham Park, said, “New Yorkers, who for centuries have dared to dream big, worked relentlessly to make those dreams a reality. Our cityscape is the embodiment of that collective yearning and achievement. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of its most powerful symbols – a love letter to New Yorkers, written in stone 142 years ago.”
Ms. Chang continued, “with this new chapter of Gotham Park, we commit to building a welcoming space to gather, share, play, grow, and thrive. The space itself is a majestic canvas – but we, the people who bring it to life, are the ever-changing art. Our deepest thanks go to our community partners at Trinity Church, Community Board 1, and Community Board 3; and to the countless local stakeholders who helped bring us to this moment. Gotham Park is the adventure of a lifetime, and we’re just getting started. Let’s keep dreaming together and write a love letter to our children.”
Gotham Park has gradually opened in sections over the past few years, and there is much more to come. The overall vision aims to reopen and revitalize six outdoor sections of public space (three each on the north and south sides of the bridge), stretching from Park Row to South Street. The same plan would bring to life the Vaults (the soaring, interior brickwork spaces within the Brooklyn Bridge’s anchorage), converting them for the first time to public use. The scenario outlined by Gotham Park notes these spaces ideally would house a branch of the New York Public Library and a Brooklyn Bridge museum. This network of indoor and outdoor spaces would ultimately connect with the East River Park and Greenway, now under construction along the waterfront.
On Thursday, June 19, Gotham Park will partner with Lower East Side-based non-profit UA3 to host a Juneteenth Celebration. Billed as a commemoration of freedom, community, and culture with good food and good company, the event will run from 10am to 3pm, and will include wellness exercises, poetry readings, and community-building activities. Enter from Rose Street and join the remembrance of June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas (nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America), with news of freedom.