Ground Broken at Prospect Park Lakeside

Temperatures wavered close to freezing this morning, but still a horde of speakers and spectators gathered on the lakeside to on a $70 million lakeside upgrade.

The project will demolish the existing Kate Wollman Rink, which some have criticized as an unattractive and unnatural addition to the original design. In its stead, the Prospect Park Alliance plans to build a LEED-certified green building, two outdoor skating rinks, which will also host roller-skating and water features in the warmer months.

"This is like 'woo!' for me, to actually start construction on a project I've been hoping to do for 30 years," said Prospect Park Administrator and Prospect Park Alliance President Tupper Thomas, who will retire at the end of this year.

The project will also include a renovated 26 acres of parkland, five additional acres of lake and three more of green space. The lakeshore vista will be restored to its pre-1960 appearance, with access to the water's edge again provided by a curved, unobstructed shoreline. Music Island will also be restored as a wildlife sanctuary.

The ground breaking drew a slew of local political forces, including Borough President Marty Markowitz, Council Member Brad Lander and Assemblywoman Joan Millman.

"Prospect Park really is the perfect park," said New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "It was perfectly designed, perfectly built, and now it will be perfectly restored.

Borough President Markowitz highlighted another one of the parks assets: "It's one of the top hook-up places in Brooklyn," he said.

The project will be completed over the next two years as a joint project of the New York City Parks Department, The Prospect Park Alliance and the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

Funding for the project has come from a variety of sources, including the office of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.  The park still seeks an additional $16 million in funding. The first stage of the project—asbestos removal—has already begun.