Did Brooklyn Bridge Park Dev. Corp. Win Its Tug of War with DOT?

This parking lot at the corner of Washington and Prospect Streets, nestled under the approach to the Brooklyn Bridge, was closed to the public Tuesday.

According to DumboNYC, it is "reportedly being used as a storage/staging area for the Brooklyn Bridge rehabilitation project."

We missed the memo -- Does that mean that the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation has won its "tug of war" with the Dept. of Transportation?

History: The development corporation -- which spent more than $800,000 to demolish the art deco Purchase Building under the Brooklyn Bridge -- was flabbergasted when they found out that the DOT planned to use the site as the staging area for the bridge rehab work. A transportation spokesperson said the bridge work had been planned for years.

The development corporation was counting on the Purchase Building site as "a major connection between the piers to the DUMBO waterfront" and a grand public area, and maybe even an ice skating rink. But DOT seemed determined that it needed the area for the huge rehab project.

Now that the parking lot is being commandeered by DOT for use as a storage/staging area, does that mean that the Purchase site (now summer home to the Brooklyn Flea) is freed up for park use, skating rink, whatever?

Another memo we missed: It seems that somewhere along the line ownership of the Purchase property change hands from the DOT to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, as reported by the Brooklyn Eagle. Maybe someone can elaborate on this.

Photo by MK Metz

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