Prospect Park Alliance Rakes In $ 200 Grand For Privatizing Public Boathouse Over First Few Months

The Prospect Park Boathouse has generated nearly $200,000 in revenue from weddings and other posh events over the last few months. In April the City irresponsibly allowed the Prospect Park Alliance to close the public Audubon Center At The Boathouse building exclusively on weekends so the group can rent it out for private events.  (Photo: Reven Blau/New York Daily News) 

Brooklyn

The Prospect Park Alliance has hauled in nearly $200,000 by renting out its historic boathouse for posh parties after the building was shuttered on weekends, according to the New York Daily News.  

The Boathouse has been rented out 46 times at roughly $4,000 a pop, raising $197,750 since April, when the Prospect Park Alliance enraged park advocates by closing the landmark building on Saturdays and Sundays. 

Those activists are still angry. 

"This beautiful building belongs to the people, not to the Prospect Park Alliance," said Geoffrey Croft, president of New York City Park Advocates, a watchdog group.

 In 2002, the 108-year-old Beaux Arts building was renovated with $5 million in public and private funds. The building was converted from a storage area into the borough’s first Audubon Center, filled with educational exhibits, live animals and a library. 

The fixed boathouse also housed a café and dock for boat rides as well as one of the few public bathrooms in the 585-acre park. But the Alliance, which oversees $9 million budget to operate the park, has been desperate for money to tackle routine maintenance and repairs. 

The Alliance’s president, Emily Lloyd, has not had her $180,077 salary cut. The Boathouse remains open on Thursdays, Fridays and during school holidays, said spokesman Eric Landau. 

And the park still hosts free environmental education courses inside new tents on weekends.  

The Audubon Center during its recent heyday.  The popular boating has disapeared as well. (Photo: Prospect Park Alliance) 

Those roving classes have attracted an average of 300 to 350 people each weekend, up from the 30 to 35 people who attended similar classes held inside the boathouse, Landau said, refuting the need for the boathouse to be reopened. 

"The pop-up is a more effective program," he said.

But critics remain unconvinced, saying the closure stems from the Bloomberg administration's constant belt-tightening.

"(The Alliance) just don't have money for the maintenance. This upkeep should be coming out of the general funds of the city of New York," fumed avid birdwatcher Neal Frumkin.

Most park goers remain surprised to find the boathouse barred.

 "It kind of stinks," said bicyclist Sidal Musluoglu, 39.

 "I'm fine with them closing it every now and then but if it's always closed off, and only open to the privileged few, that's kind of unfair." 

On Sunday, a couple living in Tribeca used the building for their wedding reception, complete with two guards outside to make sure no park visitors stumbled into the elegant party. 

But even the groom's brother couldn't understand why the building was permanently closed to park goers. 

"That doesn't sound right. Weddings aren't going on constantly," said Brian O’Malley, as he puffed a cigarette on the water’s edge.   

Read More:

Prospect Park Alliance cashing in on decision to close its boathouse for fancy parties

Closed on weekends, the Boathouse has raised nearly $200K. That's enough to pay the Alliance president  

New York Daily News - October 7, 2013 - By Reven Blau

Prospect Park Alliance Shuts Audubon Center At The Boathouse

To Rent It Out For Private Events

A Walk In The Park - April 15, 2013 

Prospect Park Alliance Shuts Audubon Center At The Boathouse To Rent It Out For Private Events

On the Outside Looking In. The Prospect Park Alliance (PPA) is being allowed to close the Audubon Center at the Boathouse in Prospect Park on weekends so they can exclusively rent the space for private events.  (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) click on images to enlarge. 

Brooklyn

Prospect Park-goers say the historic Boathouse should be used less for private parties and more by the public, according to the New York Post. 

The Prospect Park Alliance has closed the landmark building, renovated with millions of taxpayer dollars, on weekends and is moving children’s programs to tents outdoors.

“They’ve taken over a public building and privatized it,” said Elaine Marvin, a former volunteer at the Boathouse, which is also known as the Audubon Center. “They are keeping it open on Thursday and Friday when only nannies can go. They’re not willing to share the facility.”

The 108-year-old Beaux Arts structure opened as a nature center in 2002 after a $5 million renovation that was partially paid for with public funds. It houses live animals and educational events on the second floor.

The nonprofit Alliance, which operates the city-owned park and raises two-thirds of its $12.3 million budget, calls the move an innovative way to generate revenue. The Boathouse can be rented for up to $4,500 for five-hour periods, Tuesday through Sunday.

“Getting kids outdoors is never a bad thing,” said Alliance spokesman Paul Nelson. “This is an opportunity to take advantage of the best resource we have in the park.”

But Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates said the weekend should be prime time for park facilities. “The last time I checked, that building belonged to the public,” he said. “This just shows that our parks should be properly funded instead of privatized.”

Access Denied.  A family attempts to gain access to the nature center but are turned away.  The closing of this valuable community resource on weekends deprives the public, especially under-serviced children of invaluable educational opportunities. What is particularly abhorrent is that the building is also being closed now on weekends even when there are no scheduled events and the building is staffed!  

The Boathouse is not a private catering facility - it is a beautiful historic public building built in 1905 using government funds in order to accommodate the public. It was lovingly renovated in 2002 so the public can utilize it.  The decision to close this valuable community resource was made without any public input, or consultation or notification. 

The nation's first urban Audubon Center has been allowed to be permanently closed on weekends when the public's utilization is the greatest.  Although the Audubon Center will remain open to the public on Thursdays and Fridays many of the beloved educational materials and exhibits have been permanently removed in order to accommodate the private events.  Critics say the pop-up Audubon is a poor substitute for the fully functioning Urban Audubon Center.

A family tries to find a way in.  The Prospect Park Alliance is being allowed to unilaterally make policy decisions on what is supposed to be public parkland.  The building provides much needed clean public bathrooms. Staffed open buildings also provide a sense of public safety.  In addition, the cafe, which overlooked the lake, has been removed as have the popular nature tours and on electric boat. This historic building, with its unique architecture, should be open for the enjoyment of the public. 

Read More:

Boos over kids’ Boathouse boot

New York Post  - April 14, 2013 - By Kate Briquelet 

Nature vs. nurture at Prospect Park
The Brooklyn Paper - April 26, 2013 - By