Shore Park and Parkway

NYC PARKS UNVEILS BRAND NEW DOG RUN IN SHORE ROAD PARK IN BAY RIDGE

On Friday, September 15, NYC Parks Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Martin Maher joined New York City Council Member Justin Brannan and members of the community to unveil a brand new dog run in Shore Road Park. Funded by $1M from Council Member Brannan, the project transformed a unused asphalt space into a safe and welcoming place for Bay Ridge residents and their canine companions. The Frank Decolvenaere Dog Run celebrates the life and legacy of a beloved Bay Ridge resident who was killed in 2020 while walking his dog.

“Parks and greenspaces are vital to the health and happiness of all New Yorkers – and that includes our four-legged friends,” said NYC Parks Borough Commissioner Martin Maher. “I’m proud that we have transformed this unused space into a brand new community resource that Bay Ridge residents, humans and dogs alike, can enjoy for generations. I’m grateful to CM Brannan for his support for this important project, which will honor the memory of Frank Decolvenaere for years to come.”

Council Member Justin Brannan said: “Leigh and I live with two retired racing greyhounds who are both very excited for this new dog run! Luna and Fiorello have been driving us completely insane ever since we told them about it. This is such a great new addition for Bay Ridge and for dog-lovers everywhere and I hope this tribute to Frank Decolvenaere brings some good memories to his family and friends. I know Frank would have loved to see this come to fruition. Thanks to NYC Parks for getting this done.”

The new dog run is suited for small and large dogs, featuring new seating, an accessible walkway, and water access for canine and human visitors. The new dog run also includes a synthetic turf area utilizing special dog-friendly synthetic turf, as requested by the community during public meetings, as well as open turf areas. The site has also been better equipped to handle excess stormwater, with more permeable materials replacing the asphalt surface that had previous covered the space.

This dog run is named for Frank Decolvenaere. The son of Belgian immigrants, he was born on June 24, 1953, in New York City. After growing up in Riverdale and the Upper East Side, Frank left the city to attend Swarthmore College, then returned to the city to pursue his Juris Doctorate at New York Law School. Frank practiced law in New York City for the next four decades, with a storied career in copyright litigation. He represented several high-profile clients including Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Wilson Sports, and Mattel in their famous “Barbie Girl” lawsuit against Aqua.

For over twenty years Frank called Bay Ridge home, where he and his wife raised their two children. In 2020, he was walking with his dog when he was struck and killed by a speeding driver. His dog, Stormy, was also injured but managed to make it the ten blocks home to alert the family. The naming of the dog run after Frank was widely endorsed by the Bay Ridge community.