Thomas Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com
Grand opening of Brookfield Park
After seven years of remediation by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the former Brookfield Landfill was reopened Tuesday morning as Brookfield Park.
Representatives from DEP and NYC Parks, alongside local elected officials, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and conducted a tour of the new parkland.
"We cannot thank DEP enough for working so tirelessly over the past seven years to reclaim this land and make this former landfill a safe and beautiful place for biking, running, picnicking and everything in between,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver.
Thomas Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com
258 acres of varied habitats
The new park includes 258 acres of meadows, wetlands, woodlands, marshes, streams and ponds, with walking trails throughout.
The various areas are inhabited by approximately 27 species of trees and shrubs and 40 species of grasses and wildflowers.
During the remediation process, DEP planted over 17,000 trees and 76,000 plants to help preserve over 16 acres of tidal and freshwater wetlands.
Thomas Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com
Split into eastern and western sections
The new park was developed into two sections: An eastern cell and western cell.
The eastern cell consists of mostly natural habitats, such as marshes and wetlands.
The western cell consists of flatter land with designated placeholders for future facilities.
Thomas Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com
Room for future recreational facilities
Flat land in the western portion of the park has been designated for future active recreational facilities -- such as baseball and soccer fields.
Residents of the surrounding community will have an opportunity to give their input as to what they would like to see built on the site.
Thomas Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com
$256.4 million remediation
This $256.4 million remediation process began in 2010, with $156.4 million from DEP and $100 million from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
That equates to nearly $1 million for every remediated acre of parkland.
According to NYC Parks, "As part of the remediation, an impermeable landfill cap and below-ground barrier were installed to contain any pollutants from the site and eliminate exposure for future park users and aquatic life in the adjacent wetlands."
Then more than 2 million tons of clean soil, up to four feet deep, were spread across the impermeable barrier.
Finally, prairie grass and native plantings were added to prevent erosion and attract birds and butterflies.
Courtesy of NYC Parks
Various trails
Brookfield Park has been designed with four marked trails to walk or bike throughout the site.
In addition, there is over a mile of unmarked trails to explore some of the park areas that are off the beaten path.
Thomas Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com
Built-in drainage
Drainage basins were constructed to direct any fallen rainwater into the fresh-water wetlands.
Monitoring wells were installed to ensure that the drainage system is operating properly.
Thomas Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com
Wildlife
Many different species of wildlife have already been spotted in the new park, with more expected as vegetation flourishes in the spring.
To this point, deer, rabbits and birds -- including three juvenile bald eagles -- have been spotted in the park.
Thomas Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com
200-car parking lot
The new park offers a 200-car parking lot located at the intersection of Arthur Kill Road and Brookfield Avenue.
The lot will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Oct. 15 to April 15, and from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from April 16 to Oct. 14.
Thomas Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com
30,000-acre milestone
The park's opening brings New York City's total parkland to over 30,000 acres -- a historic milestone for the city.
For context, 30,000 acres equates to approximately 22,846 football fields and is larger than the entire island of Manhattan.
Thomas Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com
ParkScore
The new park also brings New York City to 20 percent parkland -- tied for the highest percentage in the country, according to ParkScore.
ParkScore, a comprehensive rating system designed by The Trust for Public Land, now ranks New York City tied as seventh for best park system in the country.
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