$3M Worth Of Engraved Sidewalks, Increased Lighting, Trees & Benches Coming To Fort Greene Blocks

Local blocks are getting a $3M makeover including benches, lighted sidewalks, and increased greenery, says The Brooklyn Paper. The project will transform the look of streets bordered by Fort Greene Place, Hanson Place, Fulton Street, and Flatbush Avenue, replacing standard concrete near BAM buildings, BRICArts, and more with whimsically engraved dark paths and in-ground lighting. Said streets will also receive additional public seating areas as well as and pin oak, Kentucky coffee, honey locust, and sweet gum trees.

Downtown Brooklyn Partnership director of cultural development Andrew Kalish gave the publication the skinny on the revamp–which will be funded half by the city and half by local developers–telling the paper, “We want someone to step foot in the area and know that they were somewhere different.”

Kalish tells us that there isn’t an end date set for the project as not all of the funding has been secured, although the Dowtown Brooklyn Partnership is working with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and other elected officials to get the remainder of the necessary funding. He says a phasing plan has been put in place to ensure that as developers’ buildings are erected, changes to the streetscape are made accordingly–and to ensure that whole blocks or paths (not just pieces here and there) will be finished at a time to create a cohesive, attractive look around the district.