Van Cortlandt Park’s new Tot Playground
BY ROBERT WIRSING
One of the city’s largest
parks will receive a brand new
playground.
NYC Parks Commissioner
Mitchell Silver; Bronx Parks
Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-
Rosa; Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz;
Councilman Andrew
Cohen; Community Board 8
chairwoman Rosemary Ginty;
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
interim executive director Julie
Micou Cerf and residents
joined in breaking ground for
Van Cortlandt Park’s new $2.7
million playground on Tuesday,
July 16.
As one of the few sections of
the park without a playground,
Silver said that this new recreation
space in Van Cortlandt
Park’s northwest corner will
add a much needed play area
for local youth.
Located between Mosholu
Avenue and Broadway, the Van
Cortlandt Park Tot Playground
will feature four major zones: a
main play area, play mounds
with a net climber, a water play
zone and a swing area.
Its design also incorpates
two 5’ high slides, a new play
area with safety surfacing,
Parks leaders, elected offi cials and others broke ground for Van Cortlandt Park’s new playground.
Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks
an open lawn area and ecofriendly
features including
sustainable materials and LED
lights.
The project was funded by
$1 million from the mayor,
$1.2 million from Cohen and
$500,000 provided through the
Dormitory Authority State of
New York program.
The playground is anticipated
to be completed by May
2020.
Dinowitz expressed his
excitement about the playground’s
eco-friendly features
adding that the playground
will serve hundreds of families
daily.
ACF Fiorentina
Pep Rally
In Advance of their fi nal USA International Champions Cup
game, Italian Professional Football Club ACF Fiorentina traveled
all the way from Florence to the Bronx’s Little Italy for a
celebratory ‘Pep Rally’ on Sunday, July 21 at the Arthur Avenue
Retail Market. The event was a homecoming for ACF Fiorentina’s
new owner Rocco Commisso who grew up in the Bronx
after emigrating from Calabria.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 42 ULY 26-AUGUST 1, 2019 BTR
“This park is truly one of
the great treasures of our city
with something for New Yorkers
of all ages,” said Cohen.
Micou Cerf noted that the
playground’s natural theme
draws inspiration from the surrounding
parkland and will allow
the playground to seamlessly
blend into Van Cortlandt
Park.
“It’s a great addition to Van
Cortlandt Park and we will
now have playgrounds in all
corners of the park,” she said.
Cerf added that the new
playground will be a short
walk from the Van Cortlandt
Park Alliance’s Garden & Compost
Site, a 2,700 square foot
garden which houses a pollinator
garden, seven compost bins
and over 700 square feet of vegetable
beds.
Van Cortlandt Park currently
has four playgrounds
which include Classic Playground
at Van Cortlandt Park
South and Gouverneur Avenue,
Sachkerah Woods Playground
at Jerome Avenue and East
Gun Hill Road, Southwest Playground
at West 240th Street and
Broadway and Woodlawn Playground
at West 239th Street
and Van Cortlandt East.
Van Cortlandt Park Tot
Playground is one of several
capital projects outlined in
the Van Cortlandt Park Master
Plan 2034, a comprehensive
plan to upgrade the park published
in 2014.
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
thanked all of the funders
for helping to make Van Cortlandt
Park Tot Playground a
reality.
As the third largest city
park, Van Cortlandt Park has
more than a thousand acres
atop the northwest Bronx’
ridges and valleys.
The park features playing
fi elds and playgrounds scattered
among its edges surrounded
by a forested heartland
sustained by Tibbets
Brook.
Van Cortlandt Park is also
home to the nation’s fi rst public
golf course, the Bronx’s oldest
house and the borough’s largest
freshwater lake.
(right) A special honor was given to Regina Migliucci-Delfi no, Mario’s
Restaurant owner, in recognition of the restaurant’s 100th
year, presented by Rocco Commisso, Mediacom CEO. (below) ACF
Fiorentina’s Pitero Terracciano (l) and Frederico Ceccherini (r)
spoke to one another as Peter Madonia, Belmont Business Improvement
District chairman addressed the crowd. (below right)
Rocco Commisso (l) proudly accepted a citation of merit on behalf
of ACF Fiorentina from Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.
(below far right) Rocco Commisso (back, l) with players Bartlomiej
Dragkowski, goalkeeper and Nikola Milenkovic, defender.