Domino Park, the public space concession that Two Trees promised to throw into their larger Domino Sugar redevelopment project, will open to the public June 10. The park will stretch from South 5th to Grand Streets, and feature picnic areas, bocce ball courts, a dog-run and a sugar-factory-inspired playground.
The park has some deep design bonafides. It was designed by James Corner Field Operations, the same firm that helped design the High Line. Accordingly, Domino Park will have a High Line of sorts all its own. This will take the form of an Artifact Walk, an elevated catwalk that will feature the salvaged industrial innards of the Sugar Factory. Items on display will include dials, meters, valves, tanks and bucket elevators. Additionally, the Brooklyn Historical Society will curate a small, permanent exhibition about the site’s history which will be on display inside the converted refinery.
Ultimately, the entire development will create 2,300 apartments, including 700 income-restricted affordable units. Additionally, the project will feature retail and office space within the Sugar Factory itself.
Two Trees is betting that the park, and its artifacts, will be a major attraction for both residents and visitors. Brownstoner reported that a Two Trees representative explained,“The more this place is desirable as an attraction, the more intriguing the history seems, the more we’ll be able to rent [the apartments] for.”
Two Trees aren’t the only ones who think they can make a buck off the park. Restaurant impresario Danny Meyer is also banking on the Artifact Walk. He will operate a taco stand at the southern end of the span, which will include its own seating area and margarita service.
But, the park is more than a drunken orgy of taco enthusiasts and history buffs. Along with building the park, Two Trees will also extend River Street. The extension will run the street from North 3rd to South 5th Street, and connect Domino Park to Williamsburg at large, so that its accessible to the neighborhood, and not isolated within the development.