Parks Dept. unveils big goals

Long-term plans for the city’s parks include reopening the High Bridge–which connects Upper Manhattan and the Bronx–and rehabilitating McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg/Greenpoint. The pedestrian bridge, which has been shut down since the ’60s, will receive $65 million in renovations. The huge, WPA-driven McCarren Park Pool was built in 1936 and closed in 1984; restoring it will cost an estimated $50 million. The Parks Department said its plans are being bolstered by the city’s sizzling economy. “It has been the perfect alignment of planets: a healthy economy and an administration that understands the importance of parks,” said parks commissioner Adrian Benepe. more [NYT]