Brooklyn artist plans to build bridge for a day from Red Hook to Governors Island

Project Inspired by Walt Whitman

April 28, 2016 By Scott Enman Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The current rendering of “Citizen Bridge” which will connect Red Hook to Governors Island. Photo courtesy of Nancy Nowacek

Share this:

A bridge grows in Brooklyn.

That is the dream of Carroll Gardens-based artist Nancy Nowacek, who wants to construct a provisional pedestrian walkway from Red Hook to Governors Island across Buttermilk Channel’s 1,400-foot span.

Nowacek’s vision, which began as an idea four years ago, has developed into a realistic endeavor that she hopes to have completed by August 2017.

The inspiration for the project, which she dubbed “Citizen Bridge,” came from an article written by the famous poet and former editor of the Eagle, Walt Whitman. (Another article later published in the Brooklyn Eagle also discussed the same topic.)

In the Brooklyn Eagle article, it states that during the days of the revolution, “farmers drove their cows across the [sandbar] that then led to [Governors] Island. When the cows missed the low tide they had to swim home and as a result their lacteal processes resulted in sour milk. Hence, Buttermilk Channel.”

In 1902, Buttermilk Channel was dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers to a depth of 40 feet to create another shipping thoroughfare and to prevent boats from running aground.

Nowacek’s other source of motivation came from her close proximity to the water when she lived in Red Hook. She later moved — much to her dismay — further inland to Carroll Gardens.

“We have all this public space that is right outside our window,” said Nowacek. “It’s our nature and a huge untapped resource, and the bridge became my way to access the water and help reclaim the waterways as public space for everyone. I hope this project helps highlight how important the waterways are to our daily existence and to the city.”

Nowacek intends to set up the “Citizen Bridge” for 24 hours as a temporary installation with the hope that the project will become an annual event.

The artist has a team of 22 people working with her on the project. The group includes architects, civil engineers, marine engineers, insurance companies and law firms.

Nowacek has built and tested seven prototypes, including her most recent one, a 32-by-16-foot floating “superblock” made of Styrofoam modular blocks connected by decking pieces. The “superblock” was tested in September in Gowanus Bay and was able to withstand two concurrent, asymmetrical loads of 3,000 pounds of sand.

The next test, a proof-of-concept, will take place in September at Brooklyn Bridge Park. The trial will include a larger test bridge constructed of sectional barges that will run between 100 and 200 feet.

The proof-of-concept will test the modular walkway design and allow Nowacek and her crew to figure out the launching, anchoring and mooring systems.

It will also give the city government, the various regulatory agencies and New Yorkers the opportunity to see the project up close and personal.

After that trial, the following stage will be the final installation next summer.

In addition to the proof-of-concept, Nowacek must acquire a plethora of permits from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York City Department of City Planning, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, among many others.

If Nowacek acquires all the appropriate permits to build the bridge, Buttermilk Channel would be closed off to boats for one day. All vessels would need to be rerouted around the western side of the island.

Nowacek explained to the Eagle why “Citizen Bridge” would be designed in a crooked fashion.

“The crookedness comes from the intimate experience of walking across a bridge and how a bridge can both be a journey and a destination,” said Nowacek. “It’s crooked so that when you’re walking on it, you actually have different perspectives of the harbor.

“It will start off and head a little bit north towards Lower Manhattan, and then it will head a little bit south towards Staten Island and the master harbor, and then kind of even out and head straight towards Governors Island — so it’s a really richer experience of inhabiting the harbor than just walking in a straight line.”

Nowacek said the name “Citizen Bridge” stems from her experience as a New Yorker. “Being a New Yorker has always been to me about the space between us,” said Nowacek. “The way we make eye contact on the subway, the way we help someone up if they trip on the stairs, it seems particularly unique to New York City, and this project began to underscore for me that citizenship is the space between us … It’s a bridge that everyone is invited to participate in, and I hope everyone will.”

In addition to installing the bridge, Nowacek will host several weeks of celebratory programing to connect Brooklynites with the water. Opportunities will include learning how to build and pilot a boat and learning how to create oyster reefs and aqua gardens. People will also be able to learn how to fish and swim.

Nowacek also credits Brooklyn for inspiring her project.

“This bridge comes from Brooklyn’s deep history and comes out of this great diversity of people and ideas that are in Brooklyn, and it’s inspired particularly by Red Hook,” said Nowacek.

“I hope it helps everyone in Red Hook who was impacted by [Superstorm] Sandy. I hope it’s a moment for people to reconnect with the water in a positive way and not view it as a destructive force.”