Domino Park reconnects the community to the waterfront and provides much-needed open space for local residents, while honoring and celebrating its industrial working waterfront history. As the first phase of the transformation of the 11-acre former Domino Sugar Factory site into an ambitious mixed- use development project by Two Trees Management, the park represents a commitment to deliver 6- acres of public open space to the North Williamsburg community. The overall project buildout includes the adaptive reuse of the Landmarked Refinery Building for creative office space and four new mixed- use residential buildings that will house 700 units of affordable housing.

The extension of River Street through the site was a critical move to reconnect the park to the city grid and deepen its sense of publicness, rather than being perceived as a private front lawn. The park capitalizes on the expanse of the East River, the sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline and Williamsburg Bridge and offers a range of park activities organized into the following three areas:

• Active Recreation Park (S. 5th St. to S. 3rd St.) – located near the Williamsburg Bridge including a dog run, bocce courts, flexible playing field and beach volleyball;
• Water Plaza (S. 3rd St. to S. 2nd St.) – the heart of the park and central gathering space including the Fountain with 88 programmable jets, Seating Steps, Syrup Tank Garden and Fog Bridge;
• Passive Recreation Park (S. 2nd St. to Grand St.) – located near Grand Ferry Park including a picnic area, Tacocina, taco stand, a unique artist-designed playground, large rolling lawn and sundeck.

The “Artifact Walk” integrates over 30 large-scale salvaged relics – components of the inner workings of sugar refining – including 21 original columns from the Raw Sugar Warehouse that support the elevated walkway, the 80-foot tall gantry cranes, screw conveyors, mooring bollards and syrup tanks.

The park materials are inspired by the tough, industrial character of the Williamsburg waterfront including weathered steel, galvanized and stainless steel, concrete and reclaimed wood from the factory itself. A sustainable, robust and primarily native plant palette defines the series of programmatic rooms throughout the park and contributes to coastal resilience including nearly 175 trees such as Black Gum, White Swamp Oak and Sweetgum, along with hardy grasses and perennials such as Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Goldenrod, Aster, and Foam Flower.