Background

Henry Park 1, also known as the “Blue & Yellow Playground” on the corner of Henry Street and Pacific Street is one of three parks that were created pursuant to a 1995 Restrictive Declaration between the former Long Island College Hospital and the City of New York. The other two are Henry Park 2 (the “Tot Playground” on Henry St. between Amity and Pacific) and Henry Park 3 (the “Sitting Park” on the east side of Henry St. and Pacific St.). These parks are referred to as “Privately Owned Public Spaces” (POPS), which means they are open to the public but privately maintained. LICH maintained these parks until it closed and sold the property to Fortis Property Management Group, at which point the responsibility shifted to Fortis. Fortis oversaw the redesign and reconstruction of Henry Park 3, which is now being maintained by the condo association at 347 Henry Street.

In late 2022, Madison Realty Capital purchased the properties at 91 Pacific Street and 350 Hicks Street. Because Henry Park 1 is part of the lot for 91 Pacific Street, Madison Realty Capital took over the responsibility for the park.

Anticipated Closure

Madison Realty Capital plans to begin construction on 91 Pacific Street in Q1 2024, and anticipates construction will last approximately 30 months. For safety reasons, the Department of Buildings has determined that during the construction of 91 Pacific Street, the Blue & Yellow Playground will need to be closed. Madison Realty Capital, anticipates that closure will begin 6 months after the start of construction.

Redesign & Community Engagement Process

One positive part of the closure is that while the park is closed Madison Realty Capital will repair and reconstruct the playground. As per the 1995 Restrictive Declaration, the Parks Department is responsible for reviewing Madison Realty Capital’s redevelopment plans and signing off on the final plans, and the community is invited to participate in this process.

As with the redesign of the Sitting Park, the community will have an opportunity to take part in the redesign process through a series of meetings where members of the community can propose ideas and then subsequently review and comment on proposed plans. While the actual construction won’t take place for at least three years, the meetings over the next few months will result in the final design. 

Please Note: Consistent with its current use, this playground is being redesigned for use by children ages 6-12.     

This page will be routinely updated with the information about the community engagement process that we share in our newsletter.

Update # 2: November 6, 2023 Newsletter 

BLUE & YELLOW PLAYGROUND REDESIGN

Last Wednesday night was the first community outreach meeting for the redesign of the Blue & Yellow Playground on Henry Street and Pacific Street. The meeting began with a presentation that included a tentative schedule, design guidelines, overview of the existing playground, examples of equipment and amenities at other playgrounds, and discussion questions. You can view the presentation here. 

Since the playground was established pursuant to a restrictive declaration, there are some limitations (e.g., the playground is required to serve kids ages 6-12, the portion of the playground on Pacific Street must remain passive and free of play equipment) [EDIT: the age range was set by a community survey on park uses in December 2018, not the restrictive declaration]. Nevertheless, there is a lot that can be done! Participants shared many ideas, including (but not limited to):

• A climber
• Curved seating similar to the Sitting Park
• A playground appropriate zip line (yes, this is a thing)
• A bathroom
• Nature walk/activities in the planted area between the trees
• Stationary games (e.g., basketball hoop, foosball table, ping pong table)
• Monkey bars high enough for bigger kids but still accessible for shorter ones

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO WEIGH IN. For the next two weeks, you can fill out THIS SURVEY to provide your input. We know how many people use this playground – and not everyone is on the CHA email list. So please share this with friends.

Update # 1: October 6, 2023 Newsletter

Blue & Yellow Playground (Henry Park 1) Redesign Community Input Session #1

Tuesday, November 1st, 6pm-8pm
Brooklyn Heights Montessori (12 Dean Street entrance)

Mark your calendars for the first step in the community engagement process around the redesign of Henry Park I (Henry Street and Pacific Street).  Madison Realty Capital is hosting a community engagement meeting to facilitate new ideas for the playground. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard. Children are welcome! We will circulate a link to register when it becomes available.

While the actual construction won’t take place for at least three years, the meetings over the next few months will result in the final design. If you’re new to this newsletter or neighborhood, you might have a few questions about why this is happening. We’ve tried to answer a few potential questions on the event page here.