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Residents, Leaders Express Anger About Kosciuszko Bridge Explosion Plan

By Ben Fractenberg | February 24, 2017 2:22pm | Updated on February 27, 2017 9:55am
 Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said on Friday he was not informed about plans to implode part of the Kosciuszko Bridge, Feb. 24, 2017.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said on Friday he was not informed about plans to implode part of the Kosciuszko Bridge, Feb. 24, 2017.
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DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg

GREENPOINT — Officials and community members expressed their anger Friday about not being kept in the loop about plans to implode the Kosciuszko Bridge

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said local leaders found out about the plan through media reports and were not briefed about any potential environmental impact from the demolition.

“The community at large and the local electeds should not find out from reading in the tabloids any new methods that are used that could potentially damage the climate cleanup that we have attempted to do in this community and have worked so hard to accomplish,” Adams said during a press conference near the bridge.

“Just as we continue to build the physical infrastructure of New York City we must build a communication infrastructure with the residents and leaders and electeds [so they] are aware of the methodologies that are used to build our infrastructure.”

Adams said he spoke with the governor’s office Thursday and Friday and was told there would be a public briefing on how the dismantling will take place.

Lifetime Greenpoint resident Laura Hofmann, 59, said she thinks Gov. Andrew Cuomo “owes the community an apology” and that the announcement hurt the process of keeping the community engaged in decisions.

“It’s very damaging to what’s a good working relationship.”

Adams reiterated the point and said he would work to make sure the state engaged with local residents.

“That is our call today to the governor's office: give us a clear understanding of the impact of using any form of implosion or explosion.”

A spokesman for the governor's office said they have held more than 140 public meetings on the project. 

"Implosion is the safest and the most efficient plan so any theatrics or grandstanding from community leaders is not only unnecessary but entirely misleading," the spokesman said in an email. "We are surprised that the borough president suddenly has an interest in this project considering he didn’t attend a single one of the five briefing meetings or two tours that he has been invited to since he took office.”