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Dumbo Residents Shape $50M Infrastructure Overhaul Plans
Residents and neighborhood groups share perspectives on street restoration work and related development pressures.
How we reported this
The $108 million historic street restoration and infrastructure upgrade project in Dumbo reached completion in December 2025 after beginning in 2019, restoring 26 blocks of cobblestone streets and creating Pearl Street Plaza.
This completion arrives amid ongoing community discussions about how such upgrades intersect with preservation goals and future changes in the area. The Dumbo Neighborhood Association has mobilized to fight for landmarking protections aimed at preserving neighborhood character against thoughtless demolition and out-of-scale construction.
Local Organization Positions
The Dumbo Neighborhood Association has focused its efforts on landmarking to address concerns over demolition and oversized building proposals. Community Board 2 narrowly rejected a city rezoning plan in 2025 that would have allowed conversion of old warehouses in a 12-block manufacturing zone east of the Manhattan Bridge into residential apartments.
Plans to redevelop the Empire Stores facility into a tech hub have drawn community pushback, with residents citing concerns that the building blocks access to Brooklyn Bridge Park and creates a wall between the neighborhood and the water.
Project Details and Recognition
The street project rebuilt Belgian block and cobblestone streets on 26 blocks, upgraded sewer and water systems, and added bike lanes. It replaced 3,140 feet of water mains, upgraded 6,600 feet of existing ones, installed 46 catch basins for stormwater drainage, and added nine new fire hydrants while replacing 32 outdated ones. The work received one of New York City's top preservation honors in May 2026.
NYC DOT is now implementing a new project to expand and upgrade bicycle facilities in Dumbo, including a new two-way protected bike lane on Front Street and enhanced connections to existing infrastructure. Safety upgrades at the Jay Street and Sands Street intersection near the Manhattan Bridge bike path entrance include new sidewalk extensions, dedicated crosswalk ramps, and removal of iron fencing.
Residents continue to urge the city to adopt stronger crowd-control and public-space planning action plans ahead of summer World Cup viewing parties due to swelling tourist traffic. The Dumbo Neighborhood Association remains active in tracking how infrastructure changes align with landmarking objectives going forward.