Mayor Eric Adams wants to give a breath of life to dozens of vacant lots in Brooklyn and Queens by turning them into small public parks.
The mayor on Tuesday proposed setting aside $30 million in next year’s city budget to target sites that could be turned into green spaces. The proposal would fast-track future purchases of vacant land by preapproving their sale through the city’s byzantine zoning process.
The city submitted two neighborhood-wide applications to target lots in Brooklyn and Queens earlier this month to speed the process of buying up certain vacant lots that the city wants to use for green space.
The proposal would also turn over city-owned vacant land to the parks department to be converted into public spaces.
Parks officials on Tuesday laid out an initial list of 44 lots in Brooklyn and Queens that could eventually be turned into parks. Some are currently occupied by businesses, including a Wendy’s on Northern Boulevard and a Burger King on Astoria Boulevard in Queens.
Officials said they’d be willing to purchase the sites as soon as they go up for sale, noting their locations and physical characteristics make them ideal candidates for future small parks or playgrounds.
“We are not taking sites from people,” Adams said during a news conference. “ If there are willing private sellers, there’s a potentiality to get a park built on them or a green space.”
Parks department workers visited dozens of locations to see if they’d be good candidates for the plan. Officials said none of the lots identified had active buildings department permits for current or future construction, and none are currently used for housing.
“Access to high-quality parks is not a luxury,” outgoing Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue wrote in a statement. “It is a necessity for the health and wellness of our communities.”
