Hunts Point Playground gets $3 million revamp
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Eager students from P.S. 48 joined Parks Commissioner
Mitchell J. Silver and other offi cials and community
members to cut the ribbon for the reconstructed
Hunts Point Playground on Thursday, June 20.
This beautiful, renovated public facility now includes
neon green and blue state of the art playground equipment
for the kids of P.S. 48 and many others in the south
Bronx, a new brick walking surface with park benches,
planted trees, lantern poles and a new basketball court
that features glass backboards in addition to outdoor fi tness
equipment and chess tables for park goers to fl ex
their mental muscles as well.
“Our goal is to create thriving parks for our communities,”
Silver said upon the ribbon cutting in Hunts
Point.
Meanwhile, the former version of Hunts Point playground
offered just a basketball court with chipped paint
lines, small playground area made up of mainly concrete
with little lighting in addition to few trees and an overgrown
green space.
“The upgraded Hunts Point Playground will continue
to be a beloved community hub in the future,” the commissioner
continued, mentioning that the reconstructed
playground will be a signifi cant improvement in the
quality of life for Hunts Point residents.
Green infrastructure has been added throughout
Hunts Point Playground in efforts of combatting storm
water runoff, which are able to totally capture 2.3 million
gallons of storm water annually according to Parks.
The new Community Parks Initiative site at 1300 Spofford
Avenue was funded with $2.6 million from Mayor de
Blasio and from a separate $730,000 allocation from the
NYC Department of Environmental Protection.
“Its new green infrastructure will play an important
role in managing storm water to reduce fl ooding and improve
NYC Parks Commissioner Silver (c) and Bronx Parks Commissioner Rodriguez-Rosa (3rd from r) joined others in cutting the
ribbon for the new playground. Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks
the health of our nearby waterways,” said DEP
Commissioner Vincent Sapienza, noting that these kind
of efforts make New York City a greener, more resilient
place to call home.”
Additionally, the DEP has committed approximately
$50 million in funding for green infrastructure installations
at CPI sites throughout the Bronx and city to helping
reduce sewer overfl ows that sometimes occur during
heavy rainfall, improve air quality and lower summertime
temperatures.
The newly transformed Hunts Point Playground also
features a renovated comfort station, new play equipment,
safety surfacing, spray showers, fencing, additional
seating areas and landscaping.
Hunts Point Playground joins Little Claremont Park
as two of the most recently renovated CPI parks within
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 22 ULY 12-18, 2019 BTR
the borough.
The initiative has kicked $318 million into revamping
smaller, lesser known parks that have not undergone signifi
cant improvements in decades.
This is the fi fth park in Councilman Rafael Salamanca
Jr.’s district to get a massive improvement and he
couldn’t be happier.
“The once abandoned looking Hunts Point Playground
is now a gem that we can all be proud of,” the
councilman said in excitement.
During the grand reopening, he spent some of his
time playing the game Connect Four with a toddler
whom will likely break in the outdoor facility for
good use during the upcoming summer months.
“I’m proud to say we’re offi cially open to the community!”
Salamanca continued.
Villa Maria
Academy
Visit our website
www.vma-ny.org
for a virtual school tour
and directions
Minutes from the
Westchester border
3335 Country Club Road
Bronx, New York 10465
718-824-3260 / 718-792-1751
/www.vma-ny.org
/www.vma-ny.org
