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.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz (D) announced last week in his “State of the Borough” address that the first section of the Brooklyn Bridge Park will not open until the spring. The Pier 1 Recreation Area was initially scheduled to open in 2009, and previous delays pushed the opening date to January 2010. Markowitz didn’t provide any explanation for the latest delay.

The Daily News reviews grand plans for the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The article mentions that the park design allows visitors to access the waterfront from four different locations. It also states how the park design will help shift the way people think about public space and people use park space. Lastly, the article also mentions park funding and designs for recreational activities.

The city has committed $55 million to the construction of Brooklyn Bridge Park. New York City is looking to take control of the park's development especially since the state cannot afford to at the moment. Part of the funds will be spent to continue revitalizing Pier 1 and Pier 6.