Malcolm Pinckney/NYC Parks
Aug. 16, 2019 By Shane O’Brien
Elected officials in Queens joined members of the Parks Dept. to cut the ribbon on a newly revamped playground in Flushing on Thursday.
Council Member Peter Koo joined NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver and representatives of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection at Bowne Playground to cut the ribbon on the overhauled green space that was completed in April.
The newly renovated playground cost $5.8 million and features new play equipment, swings, a spray shower, basketball and handball courts, an open asphalt play area, seating and decorative landscaping.
The DEP has also partnered with the Parks Dept. to manage stormwater runoff in the playground through the installation of green infrastructure improvements. The improvements should reduce flooding and improve the health of nearby waterways, including Flushing Creek.
The Bowne Playground renovation was funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Community Parks Initiative (CPI), which was launched in October 2014. CPI aims to make NYC Parks a more fair and accessible parks system by investing in smaller parks that are located in densely populated neighborhoods that suffer from higher concentrations of poverty.
Malcolm Pinckney/NYC Parks
Koo said that the renovation was a much-needed upgrade, stating that those who use the playground have had to rely on crumbling infrastructure for too long.
“Every summer, Bowne Playground is packed with people who have to make the most out of the worn-down equipment and crumbling infrastructure. Today our entire community is ecstatic to see downtown Flushing’s flagship recreational space finally get a much needed upgrade,” said Koo.
Parks Commissioner Silver said that it was gratifying to see the transformation of Bowne Playground into a modern recreational space. The Playground is the site where de Blasio’s CPI was announced five years ago.
“It is gratifying to see it transformed into the recreational space that Flushing deserves,” Silver said. “Thanks to Mayor de Blasio’s investment, Bowne Playground offers new recreational and environmental amenities for the neighborhood and will serve as a vital green space for generations to come.”
Malcolm Pinckney/NYC Parks
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One Comment
I hope the people in the area appreciate it, enjoy many years of it and take care of it and nobody from the neighborhood or other neighborhoods come there and destroy it or start fights. Just have fun!