New York, NY —

Part of Brooklyn Bridge Park opens next month, but it could take until at least 2013 to finish the entire 1.3 mile stretch. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman has more.

REPORTER: The first section is smaller than what was originally anticipated to open this winter. It's about the size of Madison Square Park in Manhattan and is located near the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge.

It'll use recycled material from a bridge on Roosevelt Island to create steps leading down toward the water. The park's rolling landscape is created with bulk fill imported from the MTA's East Side Access tunnel.

Another portion will open in the spring, and state officials say they have enough money to finish two-thirds of the planned 86-acre park by 2011.

The Bloomberg Administration says it'll contribute another $55 million to gain control over the park, but it would have to borrow from an already stretched capital fund to do so. A city takeover wouldn't change the controversial plan to put condominiums along one side of the park to provide money for the park's upkeep. For WNYC, I'm Matthew Schuerman.