BROOKLYN BRIDGE MANHATTAN INC

COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING, EVENTS AND EDUCATION AND PUBLIC ART INITIATIVES: AS A CENTERPIECE OF OUR VISION FOR THE PARK, GOTHAM PARK WORKS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE FREE AND ACCESSIBLE ATHLETIC, WELLNESS, AND CREATIVE INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY EVENTS SERVING YOUTH, ADULTS, OLDER ADULTS, AND FAMILIES OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND ABILITIES. SINCE THE OPENING OF ITS FIRST ACRE ON MAY 24TH, 2023, SUPPORTED BY A SMALL STAFF AND DOZENS OF VOLUNTEERS, GOTHAM PARK PROVIDES ACTIVE RECREATION SPACE THAT WAS LACKING IN THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING AREAS FOR SKATEBOARDING, IN-LINE SKATING, BMX, PARKOUR, AND COURTS FOR BASKETBALL, PICKLEBALL, HANDBALL, AND SHUFFLEBOARD THAT ARE ENJOYED DAILY BY LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IN THE WARMER MONTHS OF 2023, LOCAL OLDER ADULTS ACTIVATED THE SPACE WITH TAI CHI AND QIGONG SESSIONS AS WELL AS STANDALONE GOTHAM PARK-SPONSORED MULTIGENERATIONAL ZUMBA AND MEDITATION CLASSES. ON JUNE 21, 2023, WE CELEBRATED OUR FIRST GO SKATEBOARDING DAY IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SKATEPARK PROJECT AND VANS SKATEBOARDING. AS PART OF THIS NATIONWIDE WELLNESS EVENT, OVER 200 ATTENDEES JOINED US FOR A "SKATE JAM" COMPETITION AT THE FAMOUS BROOKLYN BANKS 9-STAIR, HOSTED BY GOTHAM PARK BOARD MEMBER AND TRAILBLAZING BROOKLYN BANKS SKATER AND STEWARD, STEVE RODRIGUEZ. ON NOVEMBER 4, 2023, OUR ORGANIZATION PRESENTED GOTHAM PARK'S INAUGURAL COMMUNITY BLOCK PARTY IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FOUR TITLE 1 HIGH SCHOOLS HOUSED AT THE MURRY BERGTRAUM CAMPUS ADJACENT TO GOTHAM PARK, HAMILTON-MADISON HOUSE, NYCHA'S ALFRED E. SMITH HOUSES, NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, NYPD 5TH PRECINCT, NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN, BIOBUS, STREETLAB, GO! SPORTS, CHURCH STREET SCHOOL FOR MUSIC AND ART, UA3, HOWARD HUGHES CORPORATION, AND OTHER NYC ORGANIZATIONS. THE BLOCK PARTY BROUGHT TOGETHER MEMBERS OF OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES WITH LIVE MUSIC, DJ PERFORMANCES, OPEN FITNESS CLASSES, ATHLETIC CLINICS, FAMILY-FRIENDLY STEM AND ARTS ACTIVITIES, AND COMPLIMENTARY FOOD OFFERINGS FROM LOCAL RESTAURANTS. THE EVENT WAS ATTENDED BY OVER 300 PARTICIPANTS, CELEBRATING OUR MULTIGENERATIONAL COMMUNITIES AND SERVING AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BOTH INFORM COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT FREE PROGRAMMING AND SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDED BY LOCAL PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND TO GET COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON CURRENT AND FUTURE OFFERINGS AT GOTHAM PARK. OUR MULTIGENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING IS ESTABLISHING GOTHAM PARK AS A PLACE WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF ALL AGES, ABILITIES, AND BACKGROUNDS CAN ACCESS FREE CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, ACTIVITIES, AND INTEREST GROUPS PROMOTING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLNESS, CONFIDENCE, AND SUPPORTIVE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS. OUR COMMITMENT TO EMPOWERING YOUTH EXTENDS TO INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN URBAN DESIGN, SUSTAINABILITY, HORTICULTURE, AND PLACEMAKING. IN 2023, GOTHAM PARK'S GROOP (GRASS ROOTS PLANTERS) PROJECT PROVIDED DOE-SPONSORED PAID INTERNSHIPS TO TWELVE 10TH-12TH GRADERS AT URBAN ASSEMBLY MAKER ACADEMY (UAMA), ONE OF THE FOUR TITLE 1 HIGH SCHOOLS WITHIN THE MURRY BERGTRAUM CAMPUS. PACE UNIVERSITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM, WITH STUDENTS EARNING STUDY CREDIT FOR THEIR WORK. THIS RESILIENT DESIGN AND CITIZEN SCIENCE INTERNSHIP IS SUPPORTED IN PART BY GRANTS FROM THE MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT'S OFFICE AND WILL ENTER ITS FOURTH SEMESTER IN FALL 2024. PARTICIPATING STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDE LOCAL RESIDENT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS NYCHA'S ALFRED E. SMITH HOUSES, HAMILTON-MADISON HOUSE AND MANHATTAN COMMUNITY BOARD 1, THE SKATEABLE DESIGN ELEMENT EXPERTISE OF THE SKATEPARK PROJECT, AND INDUSTRY EXPERTISE OF NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, NYC DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, NYPD COUNTER TERRORISM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, ARUP, BURO HAPPOLD, AND MORE. THE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENT PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR TEACHERS VALUE THIS PROGRAM FOR THE CONFIDENCE-BOOSTING EXPERIENCE IT GIVES THEM TO WORK ON A REAL-WORLD DESIGN PROJECT THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IMPLEMENTED JUST OUTSIDE THEIR DOORS, WITH INDUSTRY AND AGENCY EXPERTS AS MENTORS AND INSTRUCTORS (FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VIEW HTTPS://GOTHAMPARK.ORG/THE-GROOP-PROJECT). DUE TO THE SUCCESS AND POPULARITY OF THE GROOP PROJECT, GOTHAM PARK HAS BEEN APPROACHED BY THESE AND OTHER SCHOOLS TO EXPAND YOUTH EDUCATIONAL AND INTERNSHIP OFFERINGS IN 2024, INCLUDING THE FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, PRATT INSTITUTE, AND HARVARD UNIVERSITY. HORTICULTURE, OPERATIONS, AND MAINTENANCE: FROM THE MAY 2023 OPENING OF ITS FIRST ACRE WITH 7,000 SQ FT OF PLANTABLE SPACE THROUGH THE END OF 2023, GOTHAM PARK AND ITS COMMUNITY OF 160 VOLUNTEERS PLANTED OVER 1,300 PLANTS, TREES, AND SHRUBS, STEWARDED 40 MATURE TREES AND SHRUBS, SPREAD 6 TONS OF COMPOST, AND COLLECTED ALMOST A TON OF LITTER-CONTRIBUTING 600 HOURS OF SERVICE ACROSS 20 VOLUNTEER EVENTS. 93% OF OUR NEW PLANTINGS ARE REGIONAL NATIVE OR NATIVE CULTIVAR AND 51% ARE PURE NEW YORK NATIVE SPECIES. BY PRIORITIZING NATIVE PLANTS, WE CREATE A THRIVING ECOSYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS LOCAL WILDLIFE, ENHANCES SOIL HEALTH, AND PROMOTES A RESILIENT LANDSCAPE. THIS DIVERSITY NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTES TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY BUT ALSO OFFERS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOSTERING A DEEPER CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND OUR SHARED ECOSYSTEM. ADVOCACY, PLANNING, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION: ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF OUR WORK AND HAS BEEN THE FOUNDATION OF HOW WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE HAVE WITH SUCH A SMALL TEAM. THROUGH OUR COLLABORATIONS AND COMMUNITY COALITION-BUILDING, WE SUCCEEDED IN PERSUADING THE CITY TO RETURN THE FIRST ACRE OF OUR ENVISIONED 9-ACRE PUBLIC SPACE TO PUBLIC USE AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS OF ADVOCACY. WE ALSO RELY ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO ENSURE THAT OUR PROGRAMMING IS NOT ONLY WELCOMING, CULTURALLY SENSITIVE, AND INCLUSIVE, BUT ALSO WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS AND NEEDS. WE CONNECT REGULARLY WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR CLOSE-KNIT PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, BIDS, RESIDENCES, AND CITY AGENCIES. WE HAVE DEVELOPED CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS, INCLUDING NYCHA'S ALFRED E. SMITH HOUSES, CHATHAM GREEN, CHATHAM TOWERS, SOUTHBRIDGE TOWERS, KNICKERBOCKER VILLAGE, PARK ROW ALLIANCE, CHINATOWN BID AND CHINATOWN PARTNERSHIP, UA3, THE SOUTH STREET SEAPORT HISTORIC DISTRICT, THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE, NYPD'S 5TH PRECINCT AND ONE POLICE PLAZA, NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER CITY AGENCIES, AND THE HIGH SCHOOLS WITHIN THE MURRY BERGTRAUM CAMPUS. IN ADDITION TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, WE ALSO HAVE FULL SUPPORT FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OUR COMMUNITY BOARDS, 1 AND 3. SINCE OUR OPENING IN MAY 2023, GOTHAM PARK HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, CITY AGENCIES, ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO ENHANCE THE PUBLIC SPACES UNDER THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE. WE AIM TO CREATE A WORLD-CLASS PUBLIC SPACE LOCATED AT THE CROSSROADS OF CHINATOWN, THE SOUTH STREET SEAPORT, TWO BRIDGES, THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT, AND TRIBECA. IN 2023, WE DEDICATED HUNDREDS OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEER HOURS WORKING WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP A VISION TO PRESENT TO THE COMMUNITY; A VISION OF WHAT THIS SPACE CAN PROVIDE FOR LOWER MANHATTAN AND ALL OF NEW YORK CITY.