Skyscrapers have gone up in less time than it’s taken to complete the 97th Street ramp to Shore Road Park, but there finally may be a completion date in sight.
After a frustrated City Councilmember Justin Brannan told this paper in February that he would take legal action if the work was not completed by June, the Parks Department has announced that the ramp would be reopened by June 30 . . . just in the nick of time, a timeline that was shared with area residents at Community Board 10’s June meeting.
Upon learning of the projected completion date, Brannan could not help but hide his displeasure with the way the matter has been handled. “It is completely insane how long it has taken to get this ramp done. It’s really an embarrassment. I inherited this mess from my predecessor when the ramp collapsed in the spring of 2016,” Brannan told this paper.
“It’s been one thing after another ever since. Finally, I threatened to sue City Hall for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and that seems to have gotten them moving. Weather permitting, I’m told it will be done by the end of this month but I’ll believe it when I see it. I made it very clear to City Hall that I cannot have another summer go by without this ramp,” Brannan added.
In fact, the ramp — which leads to St. Patrick’s Field — has been closed since mid-spring 2016 and there have been a number of missed target dates for its reopening.
When the ramp partially collapsed, structural engineers from the city’s Parks Department determined that the ramp had been completely undermined and needed to be closed immediately for public safety.
In July, 2017, plans were revealed for the new ramp’s design, including making it ADA-compliant, and it appeared that the work, at a cost of $2.7 million allocated by the mayor, would begin shortly. But the start of the repairs continued to drag on.
This past July, this paper reported that, after years of delays, the work was finally underway to repair the ramp, which offers the only nearby access to the park for sports teams, the elderly, those pushing strollers and the disabled. Parks Department Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Marty Maher told this paper at the time that the park would reopen in fall, 2018.
Fast-forward to this week. “We are happy to share that the pedestrian pathway at Shore Road and 97th Street will be opening to the public at the end of this month,” Maher told this paper on Wednesday, June 19. “The new pathway is ADA-compliant, making it a more accessible access point for the community.”
For some residents of the neighborhood, getting to Shore Road Park without the ramp has not been an easy task. Coaches carrying large bags of sports equipment, including bases, bats, gloves and other gear, must walk for blocks in order to get down to the field.
With the 97th Street entrance closed off, the closest entries are located at 93rd and Shore Road, and 100th Street. However, both of those entrances require the use of stairs; the nearest ramp entrance is by the Belt Parkway, which is a greater distance away.
CB 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann was thrilled with the prospect of the park ramp finally being reopened.
“The completion of work here has been long awaited by park goers,” she said. “I am delighted the fully refurbished entrance will be safe and fully wheelchair-accessible!”
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