BRONX TIMES REPORTER, AUGUST 30-BTR SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 17
Law enforcement, community and Parks leaders joined elected offi cials and residents in
cutting the ribbon for the newly reconstructed el Parque de los Niños.
Photo courtesy of Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.’s Offi ce
Parque de los Niños
reopens after $4.35
million reconstruction
BY ROBERT WIRSING
A Soundview Park has reopened
to the community following its
nearly three year long reconstruction.
NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell
Silver joined Borough President
Ruben Diaz, Jr.; Councilman Ruben
Diaz, Sr.; Assemblyman Marcos Crespo,
Community Board 9 and residents
on Tuesday, August 13 to cut
the ribbon for the $4.35 million reconstructed
Parque de los Niños.
The park now features a brand
new synthetic turf mini soccer field,
a new 160 meter all-weather running
track with a 100 meter straightaway
sprint lane and reconstructed
ballfields including newly skinned
infields, natural turf outfields and
Americans with Disabilities Act accessible
dugouts.
Additional amenities include a
drinking fountain; misting station;
bike racks; shaded bleachers and 1964
World’s Fair replica benches; outdoor
adult fi tness equipment; picnic tables
and a planting bed consisting of
trees, shrubs and groundcover.
“With the brand new track, turf
soccer field and renovated ball fields,
we have diversified the park’s recreation
spaces, transforming it into a
world class facility for the community,”
Silver expressed.
The project was funded by an
$802,000 allocation from Mayor de
Blasio, $2.75 million from Borough
President Diaz and $800,000 from
Councilman Diaz.
The borough president said that
providing quality park spaces such
as Parque de los Niños is paramount
to the #Not62 health initiative which
seeks to build a healthier Bronx.
“What starts off as ‘kids being
kids;’ running around and having
fun in our park spaces becomes
the building blocks to developing a
healthier lifestyle habits as our kids
become adults,” Diaz, Jr. said.
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony,
local youth enjoyed playing
soccer, running track and participating
in an exciting game of parachute
ball.
Since 2001, Councilman Diaz has
hosted the annual Morrison Avenue
Festival next to Parque de los Niños.
“People of all ages use this park
to soak up the sun, play basketball,
baseball, soccer and they will be ecstatic
once they see the dramatic improvements
made by the Parks Department,”
Diaz, Sr. stated.
The playground’s two-part reconstruction
commenced on August 24,
2016 following a groundbreaking
ceremony.
Phase 1, which involved the playground’s
amenities, was completed
on July 10, 2017 with $156,000 from
the mayor’s office, according to
Parks Department.
Phase 2 involved rebuilding the
park’s ballfields and adding the
running track around much of the
greenspace’s perimeter.
“Our children deserve the very
best and thanks to the efforts of NYC
Parks and my colleagues in government,
we will give the very best to
the families who visit and build
their life long memories at el Parque
de Los Niños,” shared Crespo.
Completed in 1956, the playground,
located on the corner of
Morrison and Watson avenues, was
originally known as the ‘James
Burke Ballfields.’
It was renamed Parque de Los
Niños in 1995 to honor six neighborhood
children killed in the late
eighties.