The temporary Ridgewood Plaza at 71st Avenue between Myrtle Avenue and Stephen Street. Forum Newsgroup photo by Ryan Lavis.
Amongst the moving cars and store fronts lies a gravely oasis.
The Ridgewood pedestrian plaza, located on 71st Avenue between Myrtle Avenue and Stephen Street, now has an offering of chairs and tables for pedestrians to enjoy throughout the day. And in the coming months the space will also host Christmas photos with Santa, farmer and craft markets, and music, said Ted Renz, executive director of the Ridgewood Local Development Corporation and the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District.
Cut off from traffic, the current space is part of the DOT’s temporary plaza program. The DOT offered to set it up as an interim between building a permanent plaza for the area, which won’t be completed for several years.
“We wanted to have something where people could sit and relax,” Renz said. He said that there are no design ideas for the permanent plaza yet, but that he will start holding community workshops in the new year to discuss what residents want from the 71st Avenue Triangle.
“We want to engage the community because this space is for them,” he said.
The 71st Avenue triangle was originally slated for construction 25 years ago along with Venditti Square and the Ridgewood Memorial Triangle. But Renz said a lack of funding put the 71st Avenue triangle on hold for a quarter of a century.
But now the isolated area is filled with white and yellow chairs and tables, plants and large granite stones. Renz said the boulders were actually leftovers from the old Willis Avenue Bridge over the Harlem River, before it was dismantled and rebuilt.
While Renz said that some storeowners were concerned over how the plaza would affect parking in the area, he has received positive feedback from most residents and shops. Workers in a coffee shop near the plaza usually set up the chairs and tables in the morning because they said it benefits the neighborhood.
Renz also said that the tables will soon include umbrellas.
“Even though this is a temporary plaza we’re going to work as much as we can to enhance it for the community. We see this as the beginning steps.”
By Ryan Lavis
