Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Brooklyn

After $11M in Repairs, Is Borough Hall Plaza a Plaza, or a Parking Lot?

This year, contractors hired by the Parks Department got to work replacing the bluestone in the plaza outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, which was busted up due in part to people -- including former borough president Marty Markowitz -- parking cars on it.

The $11 million project isn’t finished, but someone has already started using the new granite pavers for parking again.

“Before we know it, Borough Hall Plaza will once again be the community common space we have long come to love and treasure,” Borough President Eric Adams told the Brooklyn Eagle in April. And nothing says "community space" like personal auto storage.

The granite may hold up better than the bluestone, but is Borough Hall Plaza a plaza, or a parking lot?

We have a request in with Adams' office about whether he intends to allow the plaza to be used for parking after the city spent millions to repair it.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Budget Crunch: Advocates Push Mamdani For Massive Fair Fares Expansion

The expansion would offer free transit on the subway and bus for people making up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level, which is not a lot.

February 5, 2026

AV Snub: School Bus Drivers Close The Doors On Autonomous Vehicles

School bus drivers are joining the chorus of opposition to a possible statewide expansion of Waymo, but it could be too late.

February 5, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines: Menin to the Rescue Edition

Al fresco is back on the menu, Council Speaker Julie Menin said on Wednesday. Plus more news.

February 5, 2026

Commentary: US DOT’s Misguided War on Bikeways

"European genes do not produce some kind of innate affinity for human-powered mobility — [and] people on any continent will use bike infrastructure if it is safe."

February 5, 2026

City Council to Bring Back Year-Round Outdoor Dining After Adams-Era Decimation

New Council Speaker Julie Menin wants to scrap Adams-era rules that shrunk the program to just 400 approved locations from a pandemic era high of 8,000.

February 4, 2026
See all posts