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Brooklyn Borough Board issues letter of support for Prospect Park AllianceLefferts House plan
Summary
After a public hearing and review of a community-led interpretive plan, the borough board voted to issue a letter of support for the Prospect Park AllianceLefferts House project, which proposes accessible paths, outdoor exhibits and cultural programming to center Lenape and African histories at the site; required city and state approvals remain pending.
At the June 2 meeting, Prospect Park Alliance staff presented a community-driven plan to reimagine the Lefferts House site in Prospect Park with outdoor interpretive exhibits and year-round programming that center Lenape and African histories. Dylan Yates, director of museum programs and operations for the Alliance, told the borough board the plan grew out of extensive descendant engagement supported by Mellon Foundation funding and a 64-page interpretive plan.
The proposal includes an accessible processional path and seating, a 30-foot turtle-shaped planter honoring Lenape creation stories, a Congo cosmogram plaza for programming and reflection, a restored house interpretive panel and audio tour, a flax-field planting to illustrate colonial-era agriculture, clusters of standing stones commemorating named freedom-seekers, and a small programming shed to support weekly cultural events.
Why it matters: presenters said the site historically marginalized the stories of Indigenous and African peoples and that the plan is intended to make the landscape "a place to pause, learn, remember and heal." The Alliance emphasized partnerships with local descendant groups and more than three dozen organizations that were consulted during the planning process.
Board action and approvals: after questions about funding and permitting, Chair Spencer Williams moved that the board vote on the item; members agreed it was boroughwide in scope and approved issuing a letter of support. Presenters and board members noted that additional approvals remain required, including the City Landmarks Preservation Commission review, the CityDesign Commission and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and that Mellon Foundation funds plus state reimbursements were part of the project's financing package.
Next steps: project staff said they hoped to secure city-level approvals by late summer or early fall, produce construction drawings within six months of approvals, and, pending release of remaining private/state funds, could begin construction in roughly a year. The board's letter of support will be shared with the applicant and the relevant review agencies.
