BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — An historic building in Fulton Park may soon get a $2.7 million upgrade, with renovations slated for the area’s bathrooms and plaza.
The comfort station near Stuyvesant Avenue, which will be opened up for public events, will receive electrical, ventilation and plumbing improvements, as well restrooms reconstructed to become wheelchair accessible, according to the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
The current fixed grills on the building’s colonnade area will be replaced with locking gates that will open to face the plaza and alleviate its current “cagey-looking” feel, Brooklyn Parks Chief of Staff Martin Maher told residents this week.
Fulton Park’s comfort station opened in 1910, designed by architectural firm Helme & Huberty.
The building underwent alterations and reconstruction in 1935, 1957 and 1990, according to the Parks Department.
Previously, the colonnade space was open and accessible, but the area is now secured with wrought-iron fencing and is used as storage.
Photo credit: NYC Parks
The Parks Department wants to “activate” the space for community events, and security lighting will be added, Maher said.
Stainless-steel fixtures in the bathrooms will be replaced with porcelain, and the bathrooms will feature a new layout to be ADA-compliant.
In the women’s room, a wheelchair-accessible stall will be added with a total of three toilets. The men’s restroom will lose one of its two urinals to make way for an ADA-compliant stall, Parks Department renderings show.
Pending approval, construction is expected to begin around fall 2017 and could take up to 15 months, according to Maher.
Temporary security fencing will be placed around the building as work progresses, he added. Any construction will take place within the park and should not impact traffic along Stuyvesant Avenue, he reassured residents.
