Brooklyn's Shore Parkway Promenade to be repaired after years of flooding and erosion
Long-awaited repairs are in the works for the Shore Parkway Promenade, a beloved waterfront pedestrian path in Brooklyn.
Community leaders say this is long overdue.
Potholes, sinkholes a recurring issue along promenade
Even on overcast autumn days, fishermen, cyclists and pedestrians make use of the waterfront breezes along the Shore Parkway Promenade.
"My friends, my family, everyone uses this," said Bath Beach resident Mirza Medunjanin. "I think this promenade is a gem for not only our community and Bath Beach, but all of the communities that line the shoreline."
But videos captured over the years show flooding and erosion along the seawall meant to protect nearby neighborhoods. Community Board 11 District Manager Marnee Elias-Pavia has documented repeated storm-related damage to the pathway.
"We've had tropical storms, nor'easters, high tides. Just the wave action along this promenade has caused significant flooding and damage to our infrastructure," she said.
Josephine Beckmann, District Manager for Community Board 10 in neighboring Bay Ridge, said her office regularly hears about hazardous conditions.
"There are recurring potholes and sinkholes that pose a hazard to both pedestrians and to cyclists. And it's something that we hear about often," Beckmann said. "There have been many quick fix projects over the years, you know, some more serious than others."
Repairs will address underlying structural issues, leaders say
Local elected officials, including Councilmember Justin Brannan, announced funding to reconstruct the battered seawall and pathways along half of the promenade, from the 69th Street Pier to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
"The reason why we're getting so many potholes along that stretch now is because underneath after Sandy, it was just totally compromised, and it was never fully fixed because we never had the money to do it," Brannan said.
As visitors walk the waterfront, a patchwork of repairs is visible along the path. Community leaders say the new funding will finally allow crews to address underlying structural issues.
A related Parks Department project aims to improve paving, drainage, lighting and other infrastructure along the same section. Assigned two years ago, the project's design phase was originally slated for completion in May, but has been pushed to June of next year.
A Parks Department spokesperson said in a statement, in part: "Due to site complications including subsurface utilities, we required additional time for coordination with utility companies."
"It's a diamond in the rough"
Brannan said he hopes the improvements will unlock the promenade's full potential.
"Right now it's really, it's a diamond in the rough, right? So we hope that this funding will make it the world class waterfront that it should be," he said.
Elias-Pavia said she's hopeful funding can soon be secured for repairs to the second half of the route, from the Verrazzano to Bay Parkway.
"Bath Beach and Bensonhurst has one of the lowest open space rankings in the city of New York. We're in the top five based on the density of our community," she said. "We value every piece of open space."
Procurement and construction on the first phase is expected to take years, with full restoration of the nearly 5-mile stretch likely even further off.
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