Major Change To Greenpoint’s Transmitter Park Plans

GREENPOINT— Brooklyn Community Board 1 scrapped plans for a restaurant and marina at Greenpoint’s WNYC Transmitter Park after neighborhood opposition, clearing the way for a new effort to add a public bathroom to the waterfront park.

The board’s waterfront parks subcommittee voted Tuesday to abandon the proposal and instead ask the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to pursue a smaller concession focused on basic park needs.

The new proposal would remove a requirement for a concessionaire to fully renovate the park’s deteriorating 1937 radio-broadcasting building, which has been closed for decades.

In its place, the plan would require a plaque or other monument recognizing the building’s history.

The original proposal selected Busters Marine Bronx Marina to develop and operate an outdoor café and other amenities at WNYC Transmitter Park.

The plan also included marina operations and public restrooms, with the concessionaire expected to take on major improvements at the park’s deteriorating 1937 broadcasting building.

The project’s financial model relied in part on revenue from boat-docking fees and private events, including parties and wedding rentals, to help cover the estimated $5 million renovation cost.

The scale of the proposal fueled a petition opposing the project, which collected about 500 signatures.

Kylie Souder, who moved to Greenpoint in 2017, said the proposal would have changed the character of a park where residents gather for community events, including free movie nights.

"We all, of course, love Transmitter Park for its privacy and greenery, seclusion and waterfront views," Souder told Patch.

The winning operator does not appear to have a signed contract with Parks, making it easier for the City to abandon the proposal.

The City could now begin looking for another way to bring a restroom to the park while deciding what to do with the aging building.