Prospect Park Meeting Redux

Well... at least the pool part of the meeting.

Dan Freed sends us this update on the status of the pool initiative:

It was clear Wednesday meeting that Tupper Thomas, president of the Prospect Park Alliance, is not too keen on having a pool in Prospect Park, and I also got a vibe from the goverment reps in the room that they didn't much like the idea either

Here are the main reasons Tupper gives and my thoughts

1. too ugly
--isn't it possible to design a pool that isnt ugly?

2. too expensive
--so maybe we should get rid of the rink, or at least ask people what
they want

3. there are already plenty of pools in bklyn.
--not anywhere near this corner of prospect park, there ain't

Dan's logic seems strong.  Will Tupper Thomas come around?  Will a tremendous benefactor save the pool before it's chance at life gets taken away?

Any other updates from the meeting?  When is work slated to start on the project?

Comments

[quit whining]

For someone who just moved to Brooklyn three weeks, I think you are acting like an arrogant son of a gun. Big capital projects in Brooklyn (e.g. the Dodge YMCA, the restoration of the Parade Ground and the future Brooklyn Bridge Park)take time, money, intense community outreach and coalition building. Tupper Thomas is a master of these tasks and more. Moreover, the Prospect Park Alliance's amazing work to improve the Park has had a palpable effect on the surrounding neighborhoods and all of Brooklyn for that matter. Simply put Dan, if it weren't for Tupper, there is no way young families such as yours (read: yuppie, bo-bo, or hipster types) would be moving to PLG to begin with. Show a little respect and maybe you can work with PPA to bring an indoor pool and rec center to the Parade Ground. The Lakeside attraction has been in the works for fifteen years and is greatly supported by all the local elected officials. A little bit of misguided blogging is not going to derail it. Also, there are plenty of places to swim in Brooklyn: Red Hook, Sunset Park, the double "d", Betsy Head, Metropolitan, the Park Slope Y, Eastern Athletic on Eastern Parkway, the Dodge Y and Brooklyn College.

[mel]

curious to learn what else was discussed at the meeting (parking, rink design, cars in the park, etc)

[PLG rez]

someone posted on the lefferts email group that the parade grounds would make a better location for a pool. i agree with that notion - the parade grounds already has a tennis court, baseball field and soccor fields. a pool is a much more natural fit down there than in the wollman rink area.

[Harry In Shorts]

For someone who represents someone else who somewhat sums up sucktidude set your silo straight. Strangle your silliness. Who be you be newbie frustrated phantom? If the man is angular to the hypocrite-o-noose be gone with your sulfur self. Right (write)?

[PeaceLoveNap]

They're not going to build a public pool because it would be a -public- pool.

Do you think people in Park Slope go to public pools?

It's a great idea and would actually be something people here would absolutely want. You couldn't find a nay in the neighborhood. And that's another ding against it. They only bring us things -they- think we would want. This about -them-, not us.

[mel]

pool belongs at the parade grounds
so does the skating rink to be honest

park should be left as a natural oasis as much as possible