What’s New BY ANGELA MATUA Photo courtesy Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer’s office Celebrating a neighborhood leader Queensbridge Parks advocate is honored with esplanade renaming Elizabeth McQueen, a longtime Queensbridge Houses resident and advocate for Queensbridge Park, will forever be commemorated for her advocacy efforts. The Queensbridge Park Esplanade was officially renamed the Elizabeth McQueen Esplanade last month. Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver and Friends of Queensbridge Park gathered at the park to commemorate McQueen, who passed away in February. McQueen,83, was born and raised in Maryland but later moved to Queensbridge Houses and founded the group Friends of Queensbridge Park. She led the group for 18 years where she organized volunteer events including cleanups and “It’s My Park” Days, as well as community festivities such as Dancing Under the Stars nights, concerts, and super soaker parties. McQueen was also an important advocate for the repairing of the Queensbridge Park seawall, which was crumbling into the East River. In 2014, the seawall and esplanade reopened after a $7 million renovation. The Queensbridge Park house, which used to contain bathrooms, a community space and a concession stand, has been left empty and abandoned for many years. McQueen’s advocacy efforts have led to the allocation of $4 million in funding for the park house in 2014. Construction will begin in the fall. “Ms. McQueen understood the transformational power that access to beautiful outdoor spaces could have for the Queensbridge community,” Van Bramer said. “For her, restoring the park was about justice for her community. I was honored to work with her to repair the esplanade and secure funding for the park house, and I can imagine no more fitting tribute to her life’s work than this renaming.” In addition to her work with the park, McQueen was a founding member of Green Shores NYC, a nonprofit that works to clean up the East River waterfront in Queens and Brooklyn. She was also a board member at the Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement community center. “Queensbridge Park has undergone a number of significant renovations over the years, thanks to strong support from both local partners and elected officials,” Silver said. “For nearly two decades, Elizabeth McQueen was a tireless advocate for this park, seeing to it that Queensbridge got the investment and care that it deserves. We are grateful for her spirit and her commitment, and proud to name this esplanade in her honor so that her legacy may live on for years to come.”
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