By Helen Klein
With emergency repair work on the Shore Road bike and pedestrian path already underway, an additional $7 million in funding, just secured by State Senator Marty Golden, will go a long way toward the completion of the project. The new infusion of money brings the total amount of government funding for the restoration of the badly deteriorated promenade and the seawall underneath to $19 million. The bike and pedestrian path, said Golden, “Is one of the most beautiful promenades in the city, and one of our community’s greatest treasures. What we are doing is making sure it has the opportunity to be used by the community, bike-riding, skating, walking.” The restoration of the path, noted Golden, “Is long overdue.” The senator recalled that he had secured $15 million back in 2001 for the path to be rehabilitated. “Then, 9/11 happened, and the bike path was no longer a priority, and the project was put off,” said Golden. “By putting it off, it only got worse.” Last summer, emergency repairs were commenced on the most damaged portions of the pathway, between 69th Street and 99th Street, where the rushing waters beneath could be seen through gaping holes, and the rail at the path’s edge teetered precariously. Previously, because of its condition, the pedestrian pathway from approximately 99th Street to 69th Street has been fenced off, leaving just the bike path open along that stretch. The sorry condition of the promenade, Golden said, was the result of two inexorable forces – the pounding of the water hitting the seawall and deterioration caused by water running through the broken run-off pipes that led from Shore Road to the water’s edge. Unchecked, said Golden, the ongoing deterioration was threatening the safety of not only the bike and pedestrian path, but of the Belt Parkway, as well. At the time portions of the path were closed off, the city had allocated $7 million in emergency repair funds through its Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to get critical repairs underway. An additional $5 million in federal funding had been secured by Representative Vito Fossella through the Water Resources Development Act. The combined $12 million was being used not just to repair the path’s surface, but also to reconstruct the seawall underneath. However, at the time, Julius Spiegel, Brooklyn Borough parks commissioner, had made it clear that the available funding, would, “Only pay for half of the comprehensive repair of the promenade and seawall.” The city’s Department of Parks & Recreation oversees the bike and pedestrian path. The allocation secured by Golden, it is hoped, will bridge that gap. “This is great news,” enthused Craig Eaton, the chairperson of Community Board 10, who noted that the restoration of the pathway and seawall had been a “high priority” for the board for a very long time. “We were ecstatic when we heard it,” he went on. “This added $7 million is really going to ensure that the project gets completed in a timely fashion, and gets done in a manner which the people of CB 10 deserve.” Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe also expressed his delight that the additional money had been found to move the project forward. “We are thrilled that Senator Golden has obtained this money for the Shore Road bikeway,” he remarked. “It’s one of the most popular recreation facilities in the borough. Thousands of Brooklynites use it to stretch their legs and find respite along the Narrows. Now, thanks to his and the mayor’s support, we will be able to give it the overhaul it needs.” Work began on the pathway on June 24, 2005. It is expected to be completed, on schedule, during the spring or summer of this year. Brooklyn based construction company Creative Renovations relocated from its Dyker Heights home to open a new headquarters in red hot Red Hook this month. Creative Constructions, which prides itself both its contemporary and historically accurate restorations in Brownstone Brooklyn, views the move to Red Hook as the natural choice. “I see incredible potential in Red Hook—with its cobblestone streets and civil war-era brick warehouses and frame townhouses, it really is a unique location, and very close to the most historic neighborhoods in Brooklyn” said Sam Ahmad, CEO and founder of the company. When Mr. Ahmad stumbled across the building that would become Creative Renovations homebase on Van Brunt Street last year, he knew he had found a gem. The company completely restored the three-story building and adjoining back carriage house facades to match images found in carefully researched historical photos. The main building has been returned to its original storefront configuration, now housing a comfortable and lush office space for clients; complete with working fireplace, mahogany inlaid floors, wainscoting, and a cutting edge glass-tiled bathroom. The Carriage House is now a duplex two bedroom rental with its own private front garden. Creative Renovations is located at 398 Van Brunt Street. Visitors are welcome Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
