From Landfill to Park
Brookfield Park is the site of former New York City municipal solid waste facility that operated from 1966 until 1980. After years of remediation and capping work, we are pleased to announce that this former landfill has been officially transferred to NYC Parks and is open to the public!
With the opening of Brookfield Park, the City’s total parkland will eclipse 30,000 acres. This $256.4 million transformation began in 2010. The park includes 258 acres of meadows, wetlands, woodlands, marshes, streams and ponds, with walking trails throughout. During the remediation work, we planted more than 17,000 trees and 76,000 plants to help preserve 16 acres of tidal and freshwater wetlands.
Since the outset of the remediation project, a number of community participation activities were conducted to inform and educate the public about the site, and the potential remedial alternatives. These public information sessions continued as the project moved from design through construction. Through this close collaboration with the community, we were able to successfully cap and close a former landfill and transform it into a beautiful open space by restoring its wetlands and returning the land to a more natural state. This site will now serve as a great new amenity for Staten Islanders and a destination for all New Yorkers who enjoy the great outdoors.
