Delayed College Point football fi eld fi x riles locals
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
After a hiatus on the
development of a football
field at a College Point Sports
Complex, the project is moving
forward and construction
is anticipated to begin in
November 2019, according
to a spokesperson from the
Parks Department.
The project, currently
in the procurement stage,
will construct a natural turf
football field at an undeveloped
portion of the College Point
Fields located between 130th
and Ulmer streets, between
23rd and 26th avenues, which
includes a soccer field and
hockey rink.
“Construction will include
a new connection into the
park from Linden Place and
new amenities will include
drinking fountains with
bottle fillers, bleachers,
pathway security lighting and
additional plantings,” said the
Parks Department.
The project received
$5,050,000 from the City
Council and $2,000,000 from the
Mayor’s Office — a combined
total funding of $7,050,000.
Construction is expected to
take 18 months, according to
the Parks Department.
The football field has been
long overdue, according to
Richard Fabrizi, football
coach and president of the
Whitepoint Football and Cheer
organization, which serves
over 400 families teaching
football to children ages 5 to
14. The organization splits
their league with two fields
to accommodate families and
would like a football field of
their own, Fabrizi told QNS
last year.
Fabrizi had petitioned the
city in 2016 to build a football
field at the site.
When the Parks Department
had approved the capital
project in 2016 to construct the
football field with allocated
funding from Councilman
Paul Vallone and Borough
President Melinda Katz,
Fabrizi thought the dream of
having their own football field
was coming to fruition.
However, last year, the
project was still in the design
phase with no word from the
The soccer field at College Point Fields, where residents participate in organized sports leagues.
Parks Department, according
to Fabrizi.
“We are losing kids by
the truck load, parents are
worried about Flushing
Fields conditions (holes,
rocks, swamp when it rains,
dog manure) as well as adult
softball being played as
our kids are practicing and
playing, then there is the
handball courts that have been
plagued by marijuana at all
times of the day,” said Fabrizi
in a statement to QNS.
Last year, Whitestone
residents reached out to the
Parks Department regarding
the long awaited football field
in the College Point complex,
said Alfredo Centola, president
of the We Love Whitestone
Civic Association.
“Our children have been
without a proper football field
for too long and when finally
approved, it stops with no
explanation,” said Centola. “I
Photo by Carlotta Mohamed/QNS
It was approved, it was in the
proper planning stages. What
happened? Our communities
deserves better.”
Construction of the football
field was originally slated
to begin in September 2016
with a projected completion
in January 2018. However,
the project was delayed after
the Parks Department noted
the challenges of building
on the site, which is a
former landfill.
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