11 more parks have joined a growing list of formerly neglected parks undergoing renovation
Eleven more NYC parks are going to be spruced up in a major way as part of the city's Community Parks Initiative. Started in 2014 by Mayor Bill de Blasio, the initiative seeks to prioritize some of the smaller parks across the boroughs that may have been neglected over the years. Specifically, the program targets parks that have received less than $250,000 for improvements and upgrades in the last 20 years.
The parks selected in this round of upgrades include Prospect Playground and Mapes Ballfield in the Bronx; the Bartlett and Lewis Playgrounds, and the Penn Triangle in Brooklyn; the Bill Bojangles and Harlem Lane Playgrounds, the Joseph C. Sauer Park, and Playground One in Manhattan; Chappetto Square in Queens; and Mariners Harbor Playground in Staten Island.
With the addition of these parks to the Community Parks Initiative, the number of city parks undergoing transformation is now up to 67. Already five parks that started renovations after the program got underway have debuted ahead of schedule, twelve parks' renovations will be complete by the end of this year, and several more will follow next year.
These 11 parks selected today are now going into the design phase period, and will wrap construction sometime in 2020 or 2021. The city has committed a total of $318 million towards the Community Parks Initiative.
"When we talk about improving parks in New York City, were really talking about improving the lives of New Yorkers," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. "The Community Parks Initiative focuses on parks and neighborhoods that have faced the most historic disinvestment and serve dense, growing populations, so every New Yorker can be proud of their neighborhood park."
Improvements typically include the installation of green infrastructure, community programming, and park beautification efforts.
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