Residents can now walk along newly opened pathways at the Ridgewood Reservoir Photos Courtesy Daniel Avila/NYC Parks
A $6.92 million project to improve access to Highland Park’s Ridgewood Reservoir has been completed, and the site opened to the public last week.
The project included new lighting, restored pathways, wheelchair-accessible entry points, and new fencing. Access to the pathways is available at Vermont Place, Highland Boulevard and Cypress Avenue.
As visitors begin to stream into the area, police said they expect to increase patrols in and around the reservoir.
While these improvements have been made, other long-discussed plans for the 62-acre three-basin reservoir are not making any movement because there is no funding for them.
Over the summer, city Parks Department officials unveiled proposals for the Ridgewood Reservoir, which provided water for Brooklyn from 1858 to 1959 and has reverted to wetlands, meadows and forests after being decommissioned in 1990, but these plans are not expected to be implemented anytime soon due to a lack of funds.
The plans presented by the Parks Department over the summer vary in scope, including building a pedestrian bridge and restoring habitat, creating a tree canopy walk and boat dock access, and building a water-themed playground for children. Civic leaders have said they are most in favor of passive recreation being at the reservoir and would, for example, likely be opposed to something like a water-themed playground.
The city’s project to improve the Ridgewood Reservoir included new lighting, wheelchair-accessible entry points and new fencing.
By Anna Gustafson
