Overview
- City agencies announced a multi-year, nature-based flood-mitigation project in Prospect Park that will add new ponds, rain gardens, restored wetlands and upgraded drainage as part of DEP’s Bluebelt program.
- The overhaul is billed as Brooklyn’s first Bluebelt, designed to capture and redirect runoff into Prospect Park Lake rather than surrounding streets.
- The plan includes new controls to lower the lake before major storms, with DEP indicating the water level could be drawn down in roughly 36 hours.
- Construction is slated to begin in 2029 with completion targeted for 2032, following design work now underway.
- Coverage differs on the investment total, with Gothamist reporting $68 million and CBS News reporting $50 million, as officials cite goals to reduce flooding in nearby neighborhoods and along Flatbush Avenue and the zoo.