Plan For Two-Block Park Over the BQE In Williamsburg Pitched, Again
May 6, 2016
The proposed elevated park, BQ Green, needs elevated hope to become a reality
City councilman Antonio Reynoso is looking to bring green above Williamsburg—literally—in an ambitious way. Realizing the underutilization of a ditch along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Reynoso is hoping to convert what is currently a community divider into an elevated park named BQ Green. (h/t Gothamist)
The proposed park would be situated above the BQE between South Third and Fifth Streets with the objective of converting the concrete platform into parkland that would stretch over two blocks. If approved, BQ Green would feature flower gardens, barbecue areas, a baseball diamond, and even a pool. Reynoso also argues that it would add to the neighborhood in a more health-oriented way: the added greenery could counter pollution from the expressway, and potentially help the neighborhood’s asthma rates.
Along with his predecessor and current Brooklyn deputy borough president, Diana Reyna, Reynoso concocted the project plan for BQ Green back in 2010, but Mayor Bloomberg wasn’t interested, instead focusing on more affluent neighborhoods around the city. But now, with money to spare and an estimated price tag of $100 million, Reynoso is pushing to get the project approved this time around….