Brooklyn Judges Parking Lot Fight Continues After Secured Funding

BROOKLYN, NY— A strip of asphalt at the southern edge of Columbus Park remains at the center of a dispute between local officials and state court judges who have used the space as a parking lot for decades.

On Sunday, several residents gathered at a rally hosted by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and city council member Lincoln Restler.

“This parking lot sits on designated parkland, and it's about time we return this space to the people,” Reynoso wrote in a statement to Patch. “Let’s come to the table, find a solution that addresses your security concerns, and give this land back to the people of Brooklyn.”

Restler said the goal is to replace long-standing parking use by judges at the nearby Kings County Supreme Court with a redesigned public space.

“These judges have been parking on our parkland for decades, and there's just no defense of it,” Restler told Patch.

He added that while safety concerns must be addressed, “that doesn't mean that they should park in the middle of our park.”

Officials say judges have used the lot for about 60 years. The site sits adjacent to the court building and near Cadman Plaza and Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard.

The Office of Court Administration did not respond to Patch's request for comment.

If judges do not agree to vacate the lot, the project could face further legal challenges and additional delays.

The dispute has already included litigation, with judges previously suing city officials over plans to alter the space, citing a 2008 agreement.

Officials have said the project cannot move forward without resolving access and security concerns tied to the courthouse, leaving the parking lot’s future uncertain if no agreement is reached.

Restler and Reynoso have advanced a $21 million first phase of a broader $80 million plan to redesign the space.

The proposal includes a skate park, dog run, playground, lawn, restroom facilities and a pavilion.

The proposal was developed with the design firm WXY architecture + urban design and landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, which worked with local officials on the concept plan for transforming the parking lot into a mixed-use public park.

The firms contributed early-stage designs that include green space, recreational areas, and public amenities as part of the broader $80 million vision for Columbus Park.

Restler said the plan would move forward in stages if judges relocate.

“The $21 million that we have secured to date would fund the first phase of this project,” he said, adding that a formal design process with the city Parks Department would determine final features.