Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

Well, as the Atlantic Yards mantra ( link ) goes, "it's a very tight fit." The placement of a dog run (in two parts, one for small dogs, another for large ones), with little effort to tamp down noise, close to a residential building (B13, 595 Dean West Tower) with a glass-and-metal facade, has led to conflict that's difficult to resolve. Looking east toward 595 Dean west tower. Photo: May 8. All photos by Norman Oder After some residents complained about disruptive dog barking, the Pacific Park Conservancy, which manages the 2.7 acres of open space on the southeast block of Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park, last November reduced the dog run's open hours to 7 am to 6 pm Oct. 1 through April 30, and 6 am to 8:30 pm May 1 through Sept 30. That left dog owners frustrated with overcrowding and the Conservancy's failure to recognize their needs during after-work hours. And it doesn't necessarily relieve the noise problem.  Photo: March 27 Pushing back A letter to t...

Photo: March 27 As I reported ( link ), the Pacific Park Conservancy, which oversees the 2.7 acres of open space on the southeast block of the project, was said--as of the March 25, 2025 meeting of the advisory Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC)--to have made some improvements. To improve oversight and maintenance, the Conservancy has hired Streetplus , a Brooklyn-based company that works at Union Square Park, Madison Square Park, and other locations. That was according to Anna Pycior of Empire State Development (ESD), the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project. Photo: April 25 Some change From what I can observe, Streetplus, with blue-suited workers in uniforms indicating Pacific Park Conservancy and "Clean Ambassador" (see photo at left) and Safety Ambassador," has made some improvements.  For example, as shown above right, in March one of the entrance pillars to "Pacific Park" was marred by a glued-on poster. Less than a m...

Welcome to 2025! My 2024 retrospective is coming soon.  In light of questions over the Pacific Park Conservancy's management of the project's open space (aka "Pacific Park"), notably the noisy dog run (my coverage ), I took a look at the nonprofit's most  recent filing  with the IRS, for the 2023 calendar year. (Also  here , thanks to ProPublica.) Looking east along Dean Street; the phone number still needs to be updated It's not too illuminating, but it suggests that no longer do any board members represent the three local community boards or the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.  That suggests limited accountability to public entities. (I say "suggests" because actions in 2024, not yet reported, may supersede the 2023 data.) It also suggests that the Conservancy has a decent chunk of funds on hand, which are contributed by the various project buildings, and presumably could use some of that money to manage noise from the dog run. (N...

This is the second of three articles about the Nov. 6, 2024 Atlantic Yards Quality of Life meeting, sponsored by Empire State Development (ESD), the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project. The first concerned the way the project was framed.  The  third  concerned a presentation by arena operator BSE Global. So, master developer Greenland USA, though it's  about to lose  six tower development sites to foreclosure, is still in the game, with Design Director Jen Kuang--the partial successor to previous point man Scott Solish, who  left in early 2023 --making a presentation about the project, especially the new open space. Looking east to 595 Dean from larger of two dog runs The most significant discussion, as described below, involved policies regarding the noisy dog runs (one for small dogs, one for large ones), where noise disturbs residents of the west side of the 595 Dean west tower. That said, I learned more outside the meeting from both a p...

This is the first of two articles on the Pacific Park Conservancy. The second concerns the Conservancy's record of spending . Perhaps the most active element in the not-always-used three acres of "Pacific Park" open space is the dog run. It's situated between Dean Street and (demapped) Pacific Street, east of Carlton Avenue, toward the north end of the corridor between 535 Carlton (B14) and the West tower of 595 Dean (B13). Actually, it's divided into two parts, for large and small dogs. Looking east at dog runs & 595 Dean West tower. Photos: Norman Oder The dog run, while popular with dog owners from the nearby buildings and blocks, can generate considerable barking, which disturbs residents in the west-facing units of that West tower, as noted in several Google reviews , one of which called the noise "pretty unbearable." Building developer TF Cornerstone, which has touted the dog park as amenity for tenants, has deflected complaints to the Pacific ...