Gowanus
Gowanus Community Center
The Gowanus Canal watershed has the potential to become the hearth of the six flourishing neighborhoods in Brooklyn; Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Park Slope and even Red Hook as a natural water feature flowing into the New York harbor. Without the remediation of the industrial pollution and refining of the sewer system for the whole region in this precious watershed it is not possible to fulfill this great promise.
A new building at the site of the current park and the community pool is proposed while preserving the recently completed playground by the NYC parks and recreation department. In addition, a new bridge over the Gowanus Canal is proposed to re-connect the two parts of the current Degraw street. The Gowanus side of Degraw street will be turned into a bioswale for further treatment of the storm water coming from the previously contaminated blocks uphill from the canal.
The building will be a sophisticated educational facility for the entire region. Visible from the surrounding streets and all public parts of the building, it has the capacity to have (12) auxiliary holding tanks, each 1,400-ton capacity which could be used for sewage as well as storm water collection and treatment for all uses in the building.
