Testimony of Andrew S. Hollweck, Vice President New York Building Congress at a Public Hearing on Brooklyn Bridge Park
Published on Dec 9, 2010 by
Good evening. My name is Andrew Hollweck, Vice President for Policy and Programs at the New York Building Congress.
The City and State have committed hundreds of millions of dollars to create a new public amenity that is truly a jewel of the park system out of underutilized industrial space that severed Brooklyn from its waterfront.
At a moment of extreme fiscal austerity, the Bloomberg Administration, Brooklyn Bridge Park and numerous private donors continue to pour in money to fund the construction of this once-in-a-generation project.
It is therefore incumbent upon government and the public to find realistic ways to protect this investment.
Brooklyn Bridge Park, again in close partnership with the City and State, have scrutinized realistic revenue generating options that will provide the funds necessary to maintain 85 acres of new parkland and protect the considerable underwater infrastructure that supports it.
The City has generously agreed to divert new property taxes generated by developments on the two development sites to the upkeep of this park.
The Building Congress has been monitoring infrastructure investment closely this year and we have paid particular attention to the model of public-private partnerships, of which Brooklyn Bridge Park is but one example.
We believe the residential development model proposed by the park is the most sensible solution to the question of how to adequately and reliably fund the upkeep of Brooklyn Bridge Park.
We urge the team reviewing funding options to provide objective recommendations that do not jeopardize the long term viability of this project.
Without verifiable revenue figures demonstrating a viable alternative, there should be no change to the Park’s proposed maintenance program.
Good evening. My name is Andrew Hollweck, Vice President for Policy and Programs at the New York Building Congress.
The City and State have committed hundreds of millions of dollars to create a new public amenity that is truly a jewel of the park system out of underutilized industrial space that severed Brooklyn from its waterfront.
At a moment of extreme fiscal austerity, the Bloomberg Administration, Brooklyn Bridge Park and numerous private donors continue to pour in money to fund the construction of this once-in-a-generation project.
It is therefore incumbent upon government and the public to find realistic ways to protect this investment.
Brooklyn Bridge Park, again in close partnership with the City and State, have scrutinized realistic revenue generating options that will provide the funds necessary to maintain 85 acres of new parkland and protect the considerable underwater infrastructure that supports it.
The City has generously agreed to divert new property taxes generated by developments on the two development sites to the upkeep of this park.
The Building Congress has been monitoring infrastructure investment closely this year and we have paid particular attention to the model of public-private partnerships, of which Brooklyn Bridge Park is but one example.
We believe the residential development model proposed by the park is the most sensible solution to the question of how to adequately and reliably fund the upkeep of Brooklyn Bridge Park.
We urge the team reviewing funding options to provide objective recommendations that do not jeopardize the long term viability of this project.
Without verifiable revenue figures demonstrating a viable alternative, there should be no change to the Park’s proposed maintenance program.
Good evening. My name is Andrew Hollweck, Vice President for Policy and Programs at the New York Building Congress.
The City and State have committed hundreds of millions of dollars to create a new public amenity that is truly a jewel of the park system out of underutilized industrial space that severed Brooklyn from its waterfront.
At a moment of extreme fiscal austerity, the Bloomberg Administration, Brooklyn Bridge Park and numerous private donors continue to pour in money to fund the construction of this once-in-a-generation project.
It is therefore incumbent upon government and the public to find realistic ways to protect this investment.
Brooklyn Bridge Park, again in close partnership with the City and State, have scrutinized realistic revenue generating options that will provide the funds necessary to maintain 85 acres of new parkland and protect the considerable underwater infrastructure that supports it.
The City has generously agreed to divert new property taxes generated by developments on the two development sites to the upkeep of this park.
The Building Congress has been monitoring infrastructure investment closely this year and we have paid particular attention to the model of public-private partnerships, of which Brooklyn Bridge Park is but one example.
We believe the residential development model proposed by the park is the most sensible solution to the question of how to adequately and reliably fund the upkeep of Brooklyn Bridge Park.
We urge the team reviewing funding options to provide objective recommendations that do not jeopardize the long term viability of this project.
Without verifiable revenue figures demonstrating a viable alternative, there should be no change to the Park’s proposed maintenance program.