Play ground & Water play area
The water play area has been non-functional for decades and the lack of proper drainage causes rain water the pool in the area which leads to a major mosquito issue throughout the park in the warmer weather months. The current playground is a rather large surface area, yet only features one small piece of play equipment suitable for children under 8 years old. Additionally the area is hard to access from other areas of the park. In the Spring of 2018 the play equipment was freshly scraped and painted by volunteers from the New York Junior League as part of their playground improvement project.
We continue to advocate for refurbishment of these areas of the park by requesting funding for it through the Community Board Capital and Expense Budget Priorities Request mechanism as well as directly appealing to our elected officials. These areas have been on the CB Capital list since 2016 but so far have not reached a ranking on that list that would qualify them for funding.
To date we have secured $1 million in City budget allocations for the project - $450k from Councilmember Carlina Rivera in FY21 and $550k from Borough President Gale Brewer in FY22. The Parks department estimates that they need $4 million for the project. We will continue to advocate for refurbishment of the playground and water play area and seek capital funding for this through our City Council member and Borough President.
This article will give you a good idea of how capital projects such as this can take years to be completed.
2024 Update
Due to the ongoing construction related to the ESCR project, it was necessary to close the playground and sections of the turf field. Because of this, the renovation of the playground and water play area has now been incorporated into the ESCR project and the funds we have previously raised for the project will be used for other capital improvements in the park.
At a May 2024 Community Board meeting the proposed design (below) was presented and voted on. The renovated area will include play equipment for various ages, swings, a spray shower water play area, ping ping and other gaming tables.
Please note that during the development of construction documentation the design and specified furnishings and plantings may be adjusted, but the design intent remains as shown.
We will keep you updated when we know when construction will begin.