OPEN SPACE

Today, the Gowanus waterfront remains largely unusable and inaccessible.

The Gowanus rezoning will result in the long-awaited cleanup of the contaminated land around the Canal and abundant open space along the waterfront featuring an attractive esplanade open to the public at large, not just residents of the planned new buildings, adding approximately six acres of open space to the neighborhood.

A consortium of waterfront property owners, dubbed “Gowanus Forward,” has worked closely with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, a highly regarded non-profit environmental advocacy organization, and local landscape design firm SCAPE, to ensure that the vision for the waterfront aligns with community priorities and reflects the character of the Gowanus neighborhood. The waterfront property owners will be required to pay for the creation, cleanup, and maintenance of this publicly accessible open space. The new, vibrant open space will bring the waterfront to life for people of all ages and will include play spaces for children and lawn space that will allow families to picnic and enjoy the waterfront. New street connections leading directly to the canal will open up the waterfront and allow the public to access and enjoy it in perpetuity.

Concept plan for open space on Carroll Street, courtesy of SCAPE

Concept plan for open space on Carroll Street, courtesy of SCAPE

Developers have committed to working alongside the Gowanus Canal Conservancy and other neighborhood stakeholders to be part of a Parks Improvement District (PID) which will be funded by assessments on properties. The PID will provide services including park and streetscape maintenance, education and arts programming, sanitation services and support for property owners who are pursuing environmental best practices such as integrated water management and public space design guidelines.

Open space also will play an important role in preparing the neighborhood for climate change and support sustainability. Multi-level paths, absorbent landscapes, and elevation above projected tidal inundation levels will support neighborhood-wide resiliency.