Yisroel R.

After more than two decades of waiting, a long-promised 2.5-acre waterfront park is finally becoming a reality, with construction now underway on the $40 million Box Street Park in Greenpoint, right near Williamsburg.

The new park will turn the former site of an MTA facility into a beautiful public space along the water, with gardens, waterfront seating, a basketball court, picnic area, ADA-accessible paths, and a public restroom. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2028.

“Today, we are finally making good on a promise that Greenpoint families have been waiting decades to see fulfilled: turning a parking lot into a park,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. “Box Street Park will give New Yorkers a place to walk, play, rest and gather along the water, with lush gardens, open green space and pathways connecting neighbors to the waterfront.”

The new park will also fill an important missing piece along the Greenpoint waterfront by connecting the waterfront paths on both sides of the property. The park is also expected to eventually grow by another half-acre once the MTA moves an emergency response unit that is currently located on part of the site.

The $40 million project is fully funded, with $34.5 million coming from the Mayor’s Office, including an additional $2 million recently added by the Mamdani administration. Another $500,000 is coming from the City Council, with approximately $5 million coming from local developers.

Council Member Lincoln Restler celebrated the start of the project after years of pushing for the park to finally be built.

“More than 20 years ago, Greenpointers were promised a new park on Commercial Street as part of the Williamsburg-Greenpoint waterfront upzoning,” Restler said. “While we’ve built tens of thousands of new homes in our community in the intervening years, Box Street Park remained a broken promise.”

“After years of relentless advocacy, I’m thrilled that we’re finally breaking ground on this beautiful new public park complete with beautiful grounds, waterfront seating, a basketball court and a public bathroom,” Restler added.

The park will also include many new trees, grasses, shrubs, and other plants, bringing more greenery and shade to the waterfront while also helping protect the area during extreme weather.

Once completed, Box Street Park will give Williamsburg and Greenpoint residents another beautiful place to walk, relax, spend time with their families, and enjoy the city’s waterfront.