The Pearl Street Triangle is a small parking island, adjacent to the Manhattan Bridge in the heart of DUMBO. Currently a mish-mosh of patch work asphalt, failed Belgian blocks, and public parking; the area has a great potential to be revitalized into an enchanting public space as DUMBO’s town center. With a restored Belgian block roadbed, street furniture, artistic lighting, public art and street trees and plantings the Pearl Street Triangle would be transformed into a one-of-a-kind venue for special events, public markets, and community interaction.

Historically speaking town squares have played essential roles in the development of communities. They become the center for social, cultural and political interaction. The transformation of the Pearl Street Triangle would set aside a space within our quickly changing neighborhood that would demonstrate to residents and visitors alike that no matter how quickly or vastly DUMBO changes it is essential that there is a space dedicated to honoring the artistic community that spearheaded the resurgence of the neighborhood. A space specifically set aside to build community, showcase our artistic assets, and brand the neighborhood’s identity as a cultural destination.

The creation of a pedestrian friendly Pearl Street Triangle is essential is to the successful future development of DUMBO. Over the next year our residential population is expected to triple from 2,000 to 6,000 residents. As our retail and visual and performing arts communities mature, more and more visitors are exploring DUMBO. Couple this growth with the build out of Brooklyn Bridge Park and the eventual development of the Empire Stores and Tobacco Warehouse as a premier tourist destination, and it is inevitable that DUMBO will very soon be visited by thousands of tourists each year.

At present the neighborhood is ill-equipped to handle this number of visitors or residents. Our crumbling roadbeds and dreary streetscapes are no longer acceptable for a neighborhood that is increasingly home to retail businesses and families with young children. Preserving the historic character of our streetscapes, while ensuring that they are safe, well maintained and meet the demands of their current use, is a major priority for the Dumbo Improvement District in the coming years. To that end, the restoration and activation of the Pearl Street Triangle would be a key first step in the realization of this goal. It would set the precedent for quality historic preservation and enchanting streetscapes that our neighborhood desperately needs.

Further exacerbating our pedestrian problems, the Manhattan Bridge splits our neighborhood in two, creating East and West sides of DUMBO, with very poor pedestrian connections between them. The difference is so pronounced that each side of the neighborhood has even developed their own set of services: cleaners, cafes, even their own subway stations. This separation makes it unpleasant for residents and visitors to cross under the Manhattan Bridge where the experience is dark, dirty, noisy. A re-imagined Pearl Street Triangle would draw pedestrians into the heart of the neighborhood, encouraging them to brave the underpass to reach the oasis on the other side. The restoration and activation of Pearl Street Triangle should be coupled with the re-opening of the Manhattan Bridge Arch on Water Street as a pedestrian walkway as well. Currently closed for DOT storage, a re-opened arch would further encourage foot traffic between the two sides of the neighborhood and would present a limited security risk to the Bridge by prohibiting vehicular traffic.

The creation of a Public Town Square would encourage the interaction of the people of DUMBO and would invite tourists and visitors to take a closer look at the neighborhood. From a Borough-wide perspective DUMBO will soon become one of the crown jewels of Brooklyn’s tourist destinations, attracting thousands of visitors each year. It is important to prepare the neighborhood for that future now. An innovative approach to the Pearl Street Triangle would create a seamless pedestrian experience from the York Street F Train stop, down Jay Street to the Triangle, and guiding visitors to what will be one of the City’s premier attractions once it’s completed: Brooklyn Bridge Park.

via: DID