Brighton Beach

Brighton Boardwalk reopens in time for beach season

May 31, 2016 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey, Assemblymember Pamela Harris, state Sen. Diane Savino, City Parks Commissioner Mitchel Silver, Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz and Community Board 13 District Manager Eddie Mark (left to right) cut the ribbon to mark the opening of beach season. Photos courtesy of Cymbrowitz’s office
Share this:

Brighton Beach residents and visitors have their boardwalk back. A project by the New York City Parks Department to renovate sections of the boardwalk in Brighton Beach was completed in time for the opening of the beach season.

City Parks Commissioner Mitchel Silver and Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey were both on hand with local elected officials and residents for a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official reopening of the Brighton Beach section of the boardwalk on May 26.

Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brighton Beach-Sheepshead Bay) secured $10 million to repair the boardwalk from Brighton 15th Street to Coney Island Avenue after the iconic structure had gone into disrepair. Cymbrowitz’s office had received numerous complaints about loose bolts, splinters and holes that posed a safety risk to residents, including a large senior population in the neighborhood.

Subscribe to our newsletters

In 2009, Cymbrowitz worked with then-Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny to secure funding to repair the boardwalk.

In a statement, Cymbrowitz said he was pleased the project was completed in time for the opening of the city’s beach season.

“As promised, we’ve returned the boardwalk to the people of Brighton Beach in time for the summer season. Thanks to the Parks Department for finishing this project on schedule, so that everyone in our community can enjoy the beach safely for many years to come,” Cymbrowitz stated.

Among the Brighton Beach residents attending the ribbon cutting were Zinoviy Ginzburg, president of the group Children of WW2 from the former Soviet Union; Vladimir Ripa, president of the Holocaust Survivor Camp Charity; and residents of nearby apartment buildings like Seacoast Towers and Oceana buildings who often use of the boardwalk and have eagerly awaited the reopening.

In addition to Cymbrowitz, the elected officials attending the opening ceremony included state Sen. Diane Savino (D-Brighton Beach-Coney Island-Staten Island) and Assemblymember Pamela Harris (D-Coney Island-Bay Ridge).

The boardwalk was rebuilt using recycled plastic lumber, which has a longer life expectancy in high-pedestrian traffic areas than the wood the structure was constructed with and which showed deterioration, warping, splintering and mold over the years.

A 10-foot-wide concrete carriage lane was included in the 50-foot-wide boardwalk.

The reconstruction project began in November of 2014. During the reconstruction, temporary paths were built to provide public access.


Leave a Comment


Leave a Comment