GREENPOINT— After more than two decades of waiting, Greenpoint residents will soon have a new waterfront park.
Construction has begun on Box Street Park, a 2.5-acre public space along Newtown Creek that will replace a former Metropolitan Transportation Authority facility and add new places to walk, play gather and relax.
Another 0.5 acres will be added after the MTA relocates its Emergency Response Unit from the southeastern corner of the property.
The $40 million project, expected to open by the end of summer 2028, will connect with existing waterfront esplanades to the east and west, helping close a gap along the northern end of Greenpoint.
The park will feature terraced granite seating and an elevated waterfront esplanade, giving visitors places to sit near Newtown Creek.
ADA-accessible paths will run through gardens and open green space.
Native trees, grasses, shrubs and perennials will provide shade and habitat while helping manage extreme weather.
Planned plantings include blackgum and Eastern redbud trees, purple love grass, little bluestem, Virginia rose and seaside goldenrod.
The project also includes a basketball court, picnic area, dog runs and a public bathroom.
Greenpoint residents first received a promise for a waterfront park more than 20 years ago as part of the 2005 Williamsburg-Greenpoint waterfront rezoning.
"For years, this site has been a missing tooth in the string of waterfront parks promised as part of the 2005 rezoning," U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez said.
The site remained a parking lot and MTA facility while thousands of new homes were built nearby.
The park required coordination among New York City and New York State agencies, the MTA, local officials, developers and community groups.
Council Member Lincoln Restler, who has advocated for the project for years, said the park remained an unfulfilled commitment despite extensive development in the neighborhood.
The Mayor's Office is providing $34.5 million, including $2 million added in the September Capital Commitment Plan.
The City Council is providing $500,000, while about $5 million comes from local developers through air-rights sales and private funding.
Greenpoint has among the lowest amounts of park space per person in New York City, according to Assemblymember Emily Gallagher.
As the neighborhood's population and development have grown, she said, demand for open space has increased.
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