BROOKLYNPAPER.COM
COURIER L 34 IFE, OCT. 4-10, 2019
OPINION
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes: Marine Park deserves an
upgrade and I’m going to fi nd the money to fund it
Marine Park has been
neglected for too long. Families
have been living with
deteriorating playgrounds
and swamp-like puddles,
impeding residents’ ability
to enjoy their outdoor
space. Marine Park is the
largest park in Brooklyn,
but the contrast between
the conditions of Marine
Park and those of Prospect
Park is night and day.
Recognizing the urgent
need for improvements, my
commitment to the residents
of Marine Park has
never changed: I am going
to work to transform Marine
Park into the crown
jewel of Brooklyn we know
it can be. This will take
commitment, effort, creativity
and above all else,
financial investment.
You may have seen articles
about missing money
for Marine Park and felt
frustrated that there have
been no answers or updates
on a project announced by
my predecessor that was
supposed to begin construction
earlier this year.
I share that frustration.
In the months since I
took office, I’ve been checking
with the Parks Department,
the Dormitory Authority,
and State Senate
finance staff to find information
on the status of the
$4 million allocated by my
predecessor.
Because I did not receive
any files in the transition
that would help locate the
funds, I looked to every
possible lead to locate the
grant that was announced
in a splashy press conference
just before Election
Day. We double-checked
and triple-checked.
Unfortunately, all agencies
have confirmed that
they do not have the sufficient
files or paperwork
needed to honor the funding.
This isn’t and never has
been about partisan politics.
I had truly hoped to
locate the funds and start
construction right away, as
was promised to the community.
But Marine Park residents
don’t want to hear
about the mistakes of the
past. They want to hear
about the future. Instead
of pointing fingers, I’ll be
locking down funds to work
to transform the park and
improve its conditions.
I plan to secure new
funds for Marine Park so
we can renovate and restore
parts of Marine Park
for children and families to
enjoy. I am committed to doing
the hard work and seeing
this project through.
This isn’t about taking
credit or holding press conferences;
It’s about ensuring
that we get the state aid
to invest in our park and
improve our community.
Securing state funding
to invest in Marine Park is a
major priority of mine, as it
has been since I took office.
My commitment to Marine
Park is that, despite the bureaucratic
mess, I am going
to find funds to invest in the
park and seek to get work
started as soon as possible.
Access to open space
is vital to quality of life.
Therefore, I will be fighting
to ensure southern Brooklyn
has high-quality parks
and playgrounds for all to
enjoy. Our neighborhoods
deserve nothing less.
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