Goldman, Gillibrand, Schumer Secure $2 Million Federal 'Reconnecting Communities' Grant for Arches Plaza to Connect Lower Manhattan Communities

  

   

Washington, D.C. –   Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today announced a $2 million federal Reconnecting Communities grant for New York City to transform the underutilized space underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. The project – Arches Plaza: Restoring the Community Fabric Under the Brooklyn Bridge – will connect several diverse and long-separated neighborhoods in Manhattan.  

 

The construction of Arches Plaza and the transportation network improvements in the surrounding area will reconnect disadvantaged communities and provide community amenities, multi-modal transportation options, and economic and climate benefits. 

 

"I am proud to have helped secure a $2 million federal grant for the Arches Plaza under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan, which will help to reconnect the Chinatown, Two Bridges, and Lower Manhattan communities," said Congressman Dan Goldman. "By transforming Arches Plaza into a vibrant recreation space, this investment will give hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers better access to critical green space while improving pedestrian safety and connecting historically divided communities that have been separated for far too long. I commend the City for redeveloping the area, and will continue working alongside them to direct even more resources to this promising project." 

  

Senator Chuck Schumer said, “For too long, space under the Brooklyn Bridge has been ugly, abandoned and underutilized and has left surrounding communities disconnected from one another. This federal grant we worked hard to deliver will help turn the space under the Brooklyn bridge from a blight to a benefit. That’s why I’m proud to deliver these federal funds, via the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Law I led to passage, that will advance the Arches Plaza project to transform the area underneath the Brooklyn Bridge into a community hub that will restore community connectivity, create open space, enhance transportation safety, and bring economic and climate benefits to the area. I fought to include the Reconnecting Communities grant program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law with projects like Arches Plaza in mind. Infrastructure should build up and connect communities, not divide them, and this Reconnecting Communities grant will help provide tens of thousands of New Yorkers with space to gather, new transportations options like protected bike lanes, increased pedestrian safety, and overall a more sustainable and equitable environment for surrounding neighborhoods.”  

  

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “In New York City, projects like Arches Plaza will help to repair divides in how New Yorkers build community. I helped lead the creation of the Reconnecting Communities program, and I am proud to have fought for these resources to help improve standards of living across New York. This critical funding will help to reunite our communities, advance economic development opportunities, and enhance social mobility throughout parts of lower Manhattan.” 

   

Co-Founder and President of Gotham Park Rosa Chang said, “We are so grateful to Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the U.S. Department of Transportation, and for the leadership, support and advocacy of our local elected officials, led by our Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who worked tirelessly to win federal funding support for Gotham Park/The Arches. This Reconnecting Communities grant will indeed reconnect NYC neighborhoods long separated by the Brooklyn Bridge and security closures in Lower Manhattan.  With this funding, we are unlocking nine underutilized acres in a dense and diverse community of over 47,000 residents on Lower Manhattan's East Side to create a gathering place, hub and connector for our neighbors of all ages, backgrounds, interests, and abilities to enjoy together.  Thank you for your support of our grassroots effort!  Now we will finally be able to create a place that celebrates the legacy and history of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, while bringing together Chinatown, Two Bridges, Little Italy, NYCHA's Alfred E. Smith Houses, the Historic South Street Seaport, the Financial District, Tribeca and the Civic Center.” 

  

The federal grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities grant program, which Congressman Goldman and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand sent a letter in support of in September of 2024. When completed, the Arches Plaza project will create a permanent plaza complete with seating, landscaping, recreation spaces, opportunities for short-term concessions, temporary art activations, among many other uses. The project will build and expand on Brooklyn Banks, a small portion of the plaza that was previously opened by NYC DOT and its partners in 2023. Additionally, the project will introduce two-way protected bike lanes on Frankfort St. and Dover St. to connect with the East River Greenway, which will create continuity in the bike network for bicyclists traveling to and from Arches Plaza. Finally, the project will enhance pedestrian safety on Pearl St. to increase visibility of pedestrians in the area and minimize pedestrian-vehicle conflict points.