A new park in DUMBO featuring synthetic turf for ball games, running track, playground, adult fitness area and sprinklers is under construction. Brooklyn Commons in Downtown Brooklyn gets a revamp with more plants and seating and a year-round free outdoor program.
Brooklyn Commons formerly known as MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn will be redeveloped for $50 million including the renovation of several office buildings within the campus, upgrades to the central public park space, and a year-round arts and event program that will be free and open to the public. Upgrades to the 3.6-acre Brooklyn Commons Park will include enhanced outdoor seating, new lighting, new signage and wayfinding, redesigned landscaping, seasonal gardens, and plantings. Arts Brookfield will put together a calendar of free public events and activities. Activities include theater performances, outdoor movie nights, exercise classes, a children’s book fair, an ice-skating rink, holiday celebrations, food festivals, and live music. No timeline has been given but we expect the outdoor area to be upgraded by early 2023.
The new park on York, Bridge and Jay Street in DUMBO formerly known as Bridge Park 2 and renamed to Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park is scheduled to open this spring. The 1M square feet space will feature a synthetic turf for ball games and other activities, a running track, adult fitness equipment, projector equipment for movie nights, benches, water sprinklers and a playground for ages 2 to 12.
Susan Smith McKinney Steward was Brooklyn’s first black woman physician. Dr. Kinney Steward had a very successful practice with locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan but for her, medicine was more than just treatment. It was a means by which she could further elevate and impact the community she loved and fight for racial inclusion and women’s rights. During her life she founded clinics, clubs and suffragette groups. She fought daily against the convergence of racism, sexism and professionalization in order to have a great impact on Brooklyn.
