A proposed restaurant and marina at WNYC Transmitter Park has sparked a wave of opposition in Greenpoint, reviving a long-running debate over how much commercial activity belongs in one of the neighborhood’s small waterfront parks.
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation held a joint public hearing on August 10, 2026 regarding its intent to award a 25-year concession to Busters Marine Bronx Marina for an outdoor café and other amenities at the park. The proposal includes a marina with as many as 40 slips, according to recent news reports.
The project grew out of a more than decade-long effort to provide permanent public restrooms at the park. New York City Council Member Restler told News 12 that this would cost the city around $5 million. After unsuccessful attempts to find a partner to renovate the existing WNYC building, the current proposal calls for a substantially larger redevelopment, including demolition of the historic structure.
That tradeoff has not gone over well with many neighbors. Lincoln Restler also said that that 99.3% of constituent feedback received by his office opposed the proposal. Friends of WNYC Transmitter Park, a volunteer community organization dedicated to preserving the park, argues that the scale of the project is overwhelming for the tiny 1.6-acre park and has launched a petition to protect this peaceful, open waterfront.
Opponents say they are not necessarily against a modest café or improved bathrooms; rather, they question whether those amenities justify transforming the waterfront park with a large commercial operation and marina.
The debate now moves forward amid calls for the Parks Department to reconsider the proposal and pursue a smaller alternative. The city, meanwhile, says concessions can make parks more vibrant and welcoming and has indicated that extensive community outreach would precede any final design decisions.
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In the meantime, scroll down for a letter and petition by Friends of WNYC Transmitter Park.
PETITION TO PROTECT WNYC 🌊TRANSMITTER Park 🌳
Monday, August 17, 2026
Dear Friends,
Thank you to everyone who came out to the public hearing and to all those who have voiced their concerns about the scope and scale of the proposed License Agreement for the Development, Operation, and Maintenance of an Outdoor Café and Other Amenities at WNYC Transmitter Park.
While the original intention of NYC Parks’ concessions process was to identify funding to build much-needed public bathrooms in the park, the proposal that has emerged is far beyond that goal. A two-story restaurant and 40-slip marina would fundamentally change the character of this peaceful, natural sanctuary and could permanently alter the park we all know and love.
WNYC Transmitter Park is a place for everyone. Its beauty comes from the diversity of people who use it and from the fact that it offers something increasingly rare in our neighborhood: a place to slow down, enjoy the waterfront, connect with nature, and simply be. We welcome thoughtful amenities that serve park users, but we do not need a marina or an outsized commercial operation to make this park successful.
We are also grateful to our elected officials for listening to our concerns and for their support. We look forward to sitting down with them, NYC Parks, and our community to find a solution that provides the amenities the park needs without sacrificing this public green and blue space. We need a champion for the park!
Brooklyn Community Board 1 has not yet published the agenda for its September 8, 2026 meeting. Stay tuned. We’ll let you know if this proposal is on the agenda and how you can participate.
Thank you for continuing to show up for Transmitter Park!
In solidarity,
Friends of WNYC Transmitter Park
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Please sign the petition and share it with your neighbors, friends, and networks: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3-vOgUAE2Dh8CXjNhZZUKQNx58DCcYi2Wv2ccrN5Q8O5KjA/viewform