Sludge Tank

One of the few open lots of land remaining in Greenpoint the Newtown Barge Park and Playground, named for the canal barge terminal that once occupied the area, is supposed to be an oasis in the middle of a rapidly expanding neighborhood. There’s just one small(ish) problem…the hulking sludge tank currently occupying the space adjacent to the park.

So far, it seems, the only neighborhood activity taking place in this parcel is the annual, “Where’s our park?” day held by the North Brooklyn Parks advocates.

In 2005 New York City underwent a historical rezoning of Williamsburg and Greenpoint that allotted an additional 33 acres of, what would be, public parks. The thing is, this 2 acre parcel of land along the Bushwick inlet is currently occupied by an unsightly and unsanitary sludge tank. Despite numerous forms of community outreach and the formulation of several clubs to combat this issue NYC municipal parks has yet to budge on moving this project forward.

Update April 2018: The sludge tank is now gone and the park is under construction.