After over two decades of delay, construction on Box Street Park in Greenpoint is slated to begin in November, Mayor Mamdani announced Thursday.
Construction crews are expected to begin demolition and excavation of the 2.5 acre plot, formerly a parking lot, to build the park in November. The greenspace, located on Newtown Creek, wil cost the city $40 million and is scheduled to be completed by the end of summer 2028, according to the mayor’s office.
“It will take a concerted effort to transform this shoreline from broken asphalt and overgrowth into two and a half acres of new public waterfront,” Mamdani said at a press conference Thursday morning. “But once complete, New Yorkers will finally be able to enjoy the Box Street Park they have long awaited and deserved.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)
Plans for the park include a waterfront esplanade, a basketball court, a dog run, and a picnic area for families. Native plants like seaside goldenrod and eastern redbud trees will dot the space.
Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who has been pushing for the park’s completion since at least 2010, praised Mamdani for moving on it after so many years.
“For too long, we’ve had broken promises that have led neighbors to believe that nobody’s looking out for us, that nobody’s actually fighting for us,” Restler said. “And by stepping into office, partnering with us, and saying we are going to secure every inch of park space that we were promised, we are going to make this happen together.”