Creating a model to sustain the park’s next 100 years
On October 12, NYS Senator Kristen Gonzalez, NYS Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler, NYC Parks, and the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance (NBK Parks) announced a $240K grant from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF) would s create and execute a sustainable horticultural model for the future of McGolrick Park. This grant award is the GCEF’s final grant allocation and builds on a decade of historic GCEF investment in McGolrick Park that totaled more than $600,000, including improvements to the dog run, restored garden beds, and numerous public art and educational offerings.
The GCEF was established with funds from New York state’s 2010 settlement with ExxonMobil that addressed the company’s responsibility for allowing millions of gallons of oil to contaminate the land and groundwater in Greenpoint for more than five decades.
The horticultural model is a new three-year initiative NBK Parks has named, “The Next 100 Years of McGolrick Park”. A portion of GCEF funds will support a new staff position that will oversee the development and implementation of this initiative. Lauren Clark, a founding member of the Friends of McGolrick Park, joined NBK Parks to accept this position, manager of horticulture and stewardship.
NBK Parks hosted a community town hall on October 26. This town Hall marks the beginning of a collaborative community engagement process featuring surveys, focus groups led by community partners like the Friends of McGolrick Park, and visioning sessions that will result in the development of a comprehensive work plan.
The ten acres of land for McGolrick Park was acquired by the City of Brooklyn in 1809. The park was first named after NYS Assembly Member Winthrop Jones, but in 1941 was renamed to honor Monsignor Edward J. McGolrick who joined the parish of St. Cecilia’s in 1888 and would serve as its pastor for fifty years.
“As Greenpoint’s town square, McGolrick Park’s landscaped lawns and historic colonnade invite New Yorkers to relax from the stresses of urban life and connect with their neighbors. Now, thanks to this grant funding for the “The Next 100 Years of McGolrick Park” project, the park will receive upgraded horticulture, new public art, dog run improvements, and more,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue.
The Greenline 