City officials and environmental justice advocates celebrated the start of the Gateway to Greenpoint on Friday, a $1.9 million project that blends stormwater management with new public open space in Greenpoint.
Located on the eastern perimeter of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility, the project will transform unused land into a community space equipped with underground stormwater storage chambers capable of capturing nearly one million gallons of stormwater annually.
The infrastructure project will reduce street flooding and protect the Newtown Creek by preventing excess stormwater, and any pollutants it sweeps off the streets, from entering the waterway through outfalls, officials said.
“This new plaza will soak up nearly a million gallons of rainwater a year, helping to prevent street flooding and keep pollution out of Newtown Creek,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “It shows how we can — and must — take every opportunity to integrate stormwater management into public projects, turning even small spaces into powerful tools for climate resilience.”
Beneath the plaza, DEP will install underground stormwater storage chambers that will capture stormwater from a 53,000-square-foot drainage area on Greenpoint and Kingsland Avenues. As stormwater flows over streets and other impervious surfaces, it sweeps up pollutants — such as sediments, oils, pathogens and road salt — and carries it out into local waterways. These subsurface chambers will intercept the stormwater and slowly release it into the ground below, filtering and cleaning stormwater that would otherwise have discharged directly into Newtown Creek.
"After years of collaboration with DEP and elected officials, the project—now featuring major stormwater management elements—is breaking ground,” said Willis Elkins, executive director of the Newtown Creek Alliance. “The site will offer vital open space and environmental benefits for local workers, residents, and visiting students.
The public space will also help link bus and bike routes on Greenpoint Avenue to the Nature Walk, the half-mile public waterfront esplanade along
Whale Creek and Newtown Creek.
