Two Trees Management Co., the Dumbo Improvement District and NYCwireless bring free, public internet service to Brooklyn Bridge Park. The system provides full coverage to the city park at 1 Main Street, enabling free Internet access to those who visit the park, making Brooklyn Bridge Park the first public hotspot in a Brooklyn park.
As a public private enterprise, the hotspot at Brooklyn Bridge Park is the result of a joint effort undertaken by Two Trees Management and the newly established Dumbo Improvement District. Two Trees has covered the cost of the installation of the hotspot while the BID will cover the annual maintenance of the service, thus providing a useful park amenity that appeals to area employees, residents, local visitors and out of town tourists. “The project has great marketing potential in terms of how a public private partnership can help advance the parks department’s goal to wire parks throughout the boroughs,” said Valerie Lynch of Two Trees Management. “The project serves as a model for other developers and corporations to work with parks and other business improvement districts throughout the city.”
“Wireless access in this already alluring park is a significant step in our efforts to improve the quality of life in Dumbo, and we anticipate it being a important long-term service that greatly benefits the neighborhood,” said Tucker Reed, Executive Director of the Dumbo Improvement District. “Our partnership with Two Trees and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to provide this wireless Internet access is a perfect example of how other neighborhoods in New York City can use private resources to provide public amenities that benefit their communities.”
“NYCwireless is thrilled to work with Two Trees Management and the Dumbo Improvement District to provide free, public wireless internet service in this beautiful park,” said Dana Spiegel, the executive director of NYCwireless. “We encourage everyone to visit Brooklyn Bridge Park and log on to check e-mail or just surf the Internet.” When users initially log on, they will land on a page that describes the DUMBO neighborhood and links to the Dumbo Improvement District website.
*About DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park*
The neighborhood is booming, becoming more populated with office workers, residents, young families, new retailers, restaurants, galleries and tourists. In recent years, this area has been transformed from a deteriorated, abandoned industrial neighborhood to a vital and exciting place in which to live, work and play. The level of private and public investment in DUMBO is staggering – hundreds of millions of dollars in private funds have been spent to develop over 2 million square feet in office/studio space, 100,000 square feet in retail space and nearly 1,500 residential units. In addition, nearly 150 million dollars in state and city monies have been committed to create a world-class waterfront park. Brooklyn Bridge Park is an important aspect of the vision to make DUMBO more attractive and desirable as a thriving urban center and downtown destination. The park will provide much needed open space and recreational facilities for many neighborhoods that have historically been underserved.
*Two Trees Management Company*
Two Trees Management Co. owns most of the Brooklyn neighborhood of DUMBO (“Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass”). The company’s holdings include 13 buildings and the second largest portfolio of commercial space on the Brooklyn waterfront, which spans 3 million square feet.
*About the Dumbo Improvement District*
Nestled between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, the newly formed Dumbo Improvement District operates in one of New York City’s most culturally and physically diverse neighborhoods. Historically a manufacturing and shipping neighborhood, DUMBO is increasingly becoming a mixed-use community with light manufacturing, offices, artists’ studios, performance spaces, galleries, restaurants, retail stores and residencies. Funded by local commercial property owners, the Dumbo Improvement District was signed into law by Mayor Bloomberg in December 2005 and will deliver the following services to the neighborhood: stewardship of the community’s public spaces, helping to address neighborhood security issues, advocating on behalf of the community to public and private stakeholders, and marketing and promoting the area to attract new visitors, businesses and customers to DUMBO.
Filed under: New York City, News, NYCwireless
