New Grand Avenue Bridge: Paint It Black?

The Grand Avenue Bridge, a swing span with Erector Set-like trusses and one of the glories of Fair Haven and of the city, was painted black back in 1898 when it was built and has always been so.

A needed full rehabilitation will get under way this fall, complete with vehicle closures that will last all of 2020 and perhaps through the middle of 2021.

When the rebuilt bridge emerges — with new electrical and mechanical systems and new, smoother roadways to endure for future generations — will it be painted the old coal black or Statue of Liberty Green or some shade thereof?

That aesthetic question — and the many neighborhood issues that cluster around it — was one of the liveliest that engaged about 50 people who gathered Tuesday night in the cafeteria of the Benjamin Jepson School on Lexington Avenue in Fair Haven Heights in a meeting convened by the city to provide public information about the upcoming rehabilitation.

Percolating at least since 2006, the bridge rehabilitation will cost $25 million. Some $12.5 comes from the state, $4.5 from the federal government, and $7.5 the local municipal share.

Among the main features of the rehabilitation will be repositioning and re-pointing the historic masonry foundations, a new ​“exodermic” deck that will give a smoother ride, new bridge abutments and approach spans, a widening of the sidewalk on the southern side, and completely new electrical and mechanical systems.

Bids are scheduled to go out this summer, a winning contractor chosen by September. The first closure of what is likely to be a 12 to 24-month period of closure to vehicles will follow

“It’s a true treasure in the neighborhood, and with that there’s a responsibility to retain the historic character,” said City Engineer Giovanni Zinn, who led the discussion in the company of the mayor and other officials.

Essentially, when the work is done, the bridge will look more or less the way it looks today, Zinn said. But not if the color changes. And not, at night, if a lighting design scheme is added as part of the project.

Perhaps because the design is 90 percent complete, the focus of the discussion was less on issues of detours and diverting traffic and the impact on local businesses — although those issues were engaged as well.

The focus was rather on two aspects still fully up in the air and for which Zinn solicited a community coalescence: the color of the bridge and lighting design to go along with it.

“If you do colors” both in lighting and in paint for the new bridge, Zinn said, ​“there may be reservations because it’s an historical structure.”

“And that’s why you’re here,” Zinn said to the assembled neighbors.

Lights

In part because of the success of the lighting of the new version of Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, Zinn asked of the Grand Avenue Bridge re-do, ​“Can we light it up at night to make it a landmark? Here we want to hear from you.”

Zinn offered eight possible options, varying designs with white lights and then colored lights in various combinations, and lights strung along the cables of the bridge in a kind of charm bracelet of illumination.

None wowed his interlocutors.

Lee Cruz suggested that the city consult Site Projects, a local nonprofit that focuses on public art.

“For sure,” Zinn responded. ​“You know my number.”

Another local activist, Ian Christmann, asked whether instead of lights hung along cables and trusses, Zinn might consider a simpler program called ​“uplighting.” That features illumination shooting up from below emphasizing the shape and flow of the bridge as a whole.

As with all the audience suggestions, Zinn was open to the idea. He noted that lights positioned on the walkway and aiming up might present a tripping or security concern. ​“But certainly that’s a possibility,” he said.

Carolyn Christmann said the lighting plan should take into consideration the effect on residents. You don’t want lights shining in windows, she said.

Local attorney Marjorie Shansky, whose house is near the eastern entrance to the bridge, said aesthetic aspects are not the only element of the lighting scheme to be considered. We need to know the environmental impact ​“on the critters” in the area as a result of the lighting, she said.

Grey ​“Assault”

When the discussion shifted to bridge color, Zinn said the city is OK with black — that’s the historic color — but would prefer a grey.

“Grey will minimize thermal stress and lights look better with lighter colors. It’s going to be only in the black-to-grey [range] because of its historic character,” he said.

Local activist Chris Ozyck had other ideas. ​“What about green?” he asked. ​“It’s also a historic color, Statue of Liberty green. Grey is drab and would be an assault on the neighborhood.”

Then he showed some of the six views of the river, which Ozyck over the years has bought from local artists. ​“They paint it [the bridge] because it’s beautiful, and if it’s grey, that’s depressing. I implore you to think of green.”

“We’re not scared of colors,” replied Zinn. ​“if your neighborhood coalesces around green, that’s fine.”

Ozyck said he worries the city might shift to grey because black has thermal downsides and in the presence of no unanimous feeling for an alternate color. ​“Please express to the city that it should be black, or green, or another color, but not grey,” he said.

Ozyck said that following the meeting at least eight people came up to him and said they like the idea of green.

Those included Henry Dynia, retired construction manager for Neighborhood Housing Services.

“I love the green. Black looks like the early railroad era, coated with coal smoke,” he said.

Peter Treffers was less sure that green would work.

“The bridge is in my front yard,” Treffers said. ​“People should feel that this was built in 1898. Many people have fought to preserve that.”

While the discussion was lively, it was also polite, and full of confidence and a sense of community celebration that this important rehab of a local icon will be done pro-actively.

Zinn said his office will post drawings on the Engineering Department’s website. He also offered to host neighbors in his office to look more closely at the detailed drawings before they go out, as part of the package, for bids.

Ozyck and Dynia also got Zinn’s permission to paint a section of the bridge the green they think will work, so neighbors can get a sense, over time, of whether it fits.