Brooklyn Heights

Mayor de Blasio re-nominates Regina Myer as president of Brooklyn Bridge Park Corp.

Expected to sail through

June 12, 2014 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Regina Myer, Brooklyn Bridge Park Corp. by Julienne Schaer
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Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday officially nominated Regina Myer to continue serving as president of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation (BBPC).

The nomination, which was informally announced at a benefit for St. Ann’s Warehouse on Tuesday night, had been anticipated, considering Myer’s role in overseeing the development, maintenance and operations of Brooklyn Bridge Park’s 85 acres for the past seven years.

If approved by BBPC’s board of directors, Myer will continue to lead the popular East River park’s construction and daily operations. “We expect she will be reappointed,” an administration source told the Brooklyn Eagle.

Over the past seven years, Myer has been “an instrumental force in pursuing a sustainable and accessible vision for the park and securing funding for the park’s development and maintenance,” the Mayor’s office said.

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A planning expert and citywide parks advocate, Myers brought decades of experience to BBP when she joined the board in 2007. As the City Planning Department’s Brooklyn Borough Director, Myer possesses “a deep understanding of the city’s land development and rezoning processes.”

“Our city’s parks help keep our residents healthy and our communities green—and Regina Myer has consistently pursued a blueprint for Brooklyn Bridge Park that champions both of these goals. Regina has been a strong leader for this park and the surrounding community, ensuring the park is self-sustaining, educational and enjoyable for all,” Mayor de Blasio said in a statement.

“I would be honored to continue serving this community as president of Brooklyn Bridge Park. In my seven years with the park, we’ve worked hard to reinvigorate and expand the park into a beautiful and sustainable waterfront destination sought out by New York residents and visitors alike,” Myer said. “I look forward to working with the de Blasio administration in the coming years to build Brooklyn Bridge Park into another one of this city’s great green spaces.”

Mayor de Blasio is going through the process of looking at appointments at parks across the city, a spokesperson said. “We know her to be a strong steward of the park, she has a great relationship with the city, and we want her to continue,” he said.

Councilmember Stephen Levin said on Thursday, “Brooklyn Bridge Park is cherished by those who live here in the community and by those from across the world who visit it each day. It has been a privilege to work closely with Regina Myer and I look forward to continuing to work with her to make Brooklyn Bridge Park an even better destination that it is already.”

“Brooklyn Bridge Park continues to be in good hands and moving full steam ahead under Regina’s leadership,” said Nancy Webster, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. “The Conservancy and BBP have a great partnership, and we look forward to more park, more free events and activities, more visitors, and more and more fun on the Brooklyn waterfront.”

With the opening of Pier 2 and its extensive recreation facilities, the weather warming up, and the school year drawing to a close visitors are flocking to the park. While BBP has not carried out a visitor count yet this year, last year roughly 100,000 people visited each Saturday and Sunday, Webster said. “And while we haven’t counted, the numbers feel higher,” she added. The park’s programming season brings more than 400 free recreational, educational, and cultural activities, and the populat “pop-up pool” will be opening on June 27.

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Carlo Scissura said on Thursday that Myer “has done an incredible job to create a magnificent space that is driving people to the right side of the Brooklyn Bridge . . . I have worked closely with her and I know she has the vision and determination to complete the development of this incredible project.”

BBPC is the not-for-profit entity responsible for the planning, construction, maintenance and operation of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The corporation operates under a mandate to be financially self-sustaining, which includes development sites within the project’s footprint, a notion strongly opposed by some residents.


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