Some visitors to the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge Park have complained that the park, while visually appealing, lacks basic infrastructure including shaded areas and bathrooms. Others have raised concerns over the heavy vehicle traffic at the park’s Furman Street entrance.

The city has committed to supporting a grassroots movement to create a 14-mile greenway along Brooklyn's waterfront. Community stakeholders began this movement 12 years ago. The city's Department of Transportation will spearhead the project. $16 million city, state and federal funds have been slated for the Brooklyn Greenway.

Last Thursday officials from the Department of Transportation (DOT) joined with the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (BGI) to host the first of four community workshops to plan the route for the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. Approximately 60 participants attended the meeting held at Borough Hall in Brooklyn.

Mayor Bloomberg announced that $30 million from the Javits Center expansion project will help fund the City's construction of the 172-acre Brooklyn Bridge Park. The City will pay $55 million out of the $120 million needed to complete the park.

New York City and New York State have agreed to allow the city to complete the construction of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The two entities have been at odds regarding control of the park for several months. For the next fiscal year, the city is committing $55 million to the project and the state will continue to be involved in shaping the park. No opening date has been set for the park.

The Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (BGI) has submitted a Request For Qualifications with the Regional Plan Association to identify potential designers for a small pocket park along the Brooklyn Greenway route near the Brooklyn Naval Yard. The 1.7 acre parcel is the former site of the Brooklyn Naval Yard Hospital, along Williamsburg Street between Flushing and Kent Avenues.

Brooklyn Bridge Park landscape architect, Michael Van Valkenburgh, spoke to the Brooklyn Heights Association earlier this week. The designer noted that the park's grandeur encompassed the 800 acres of water beyond the 65 acre green area. He noted that Piers 1 and 6 should open shortly and that Pier 2 would feature recreational space.

This week the president of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation sought approval from a community board subcommittee for the planned Pier 4 at the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Construction of the pier will costs $10.8 million, but only one third of this amount has been secured thus far. Plans for the pier included a pedestrian walkway as well as an island wildlife sanctuary.

Brooklyn Bridge Park lacks the $125 million needed to complete the project. Though the City is responsible for the park's construction, the park will use proceeds from food sales and fees from the adjacent condominium complex to sustain operations and maintenance. There is concerned about the degree to which the park will remain "public" if it is dependent on private financing schemes.

The construction delays and funding shortfalls at the Brooklyn Bridge Park project exemplify the challenges municipalities face in creating of new parkland in New York City and across the country.