4 THE QUEENS COURIER • NOVEMBER 11, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Jamaica school opens new green community space
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e Trust for Public Land (TPL), in
partnership with the NYC Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) and New
York Road Runners (NYRR), celebrated
the opening of a newly renovated community
schoolyard at P.S. 223Q in Jamaica on
Monday, Nov. 1.
Th e schoolyard will be open to the community
during non-school hours and will
serve over 10,000 residents whose homes
are within a 10-minute walk of the space.
Queens Borough President Donovan
Richards said the P.S. 223Q schoolyard is
a “fi rst class, state-of-the-art” recreational
resource for southeast Queens.
“Th is investment will better enable both
schoolchildren and local residents to enjoy
the outdoors and be physically active,”
Richards said.
Th e Queens Borough President’s Offi ce
allocated $1 million in capital funding to
the project. Richards said they were proud
to work with DEP, NYRR, Councilwoman
Adrienne Adams and Th e Trust for Public
Land.
Carter Strickland, vice president of the
Mid-Atlantic region and New York state
director for Th e Trust for Public Land, said
that in addition to serving the entire community,
the schoolyard has a new outdoor
classroom so that students have the opportunity
to safely study while connecting
with classmates.
“Parks and playgrounds are essential for
the mental and physical well-being of New
Yorkers, and this project is a key part of
our work to increase park equity and resiliency
by increasing open space in neighborhoods
that lag behind like Queens
Community District 12, which has less
than half the park space per person than
city standards,” Strickland said.
Th e schoolyard was designed using Th e
Trust for Public Land’s unique participatory
design process with teachers and students,
and will include an artifi cial turf
fi eld, running track, basketball practice
hoops, tennis courts, play equipment, new
tree plantings, game tables and benches, a
green-roof gazebo, a musical play area, a
playhouse and an outdoor classroom with
turf pod.
Green infrastructure elements, like permeable
pavers, will capture 1.8 million
gallons of stormwater each year, helping
to reduce neighborhood fl ooding and
improve the health of nearby Jamaica Bay.
Th is area of southeast Queens is lowlying,
former wetlands, and is plagued by
frequent fl ooding, including most recently
during the remnants of Hurricane Ida,
which caused deaths in the area. Green
infrastructure that absorbs rain can contribute
to the solution, and the community
playground includes stormwater control
elements made possible in part through
DEP’s contribution of $775,000.
Th ese features reduce stormwater runoff
that can fl ood streets and overwhelm
sewer systems, allowing untreated water to
end up in rivers and bays. Each playground
absorbs hundreds of thousands of gallons
of water annually and includes new trees
that bring shade and better air quality to
their neighborhoods.
Th e schoolyard was funded in part
through DEP’s Green Infrastructure program.
“For more than a decade DEP has been
investing in ‘green’ strategies to divert
stormwater from the sewer system in order
to reduce neighborhood fl ooding and
improve the health of local waterways,”
DEP Commissioner Vince Sapienza said.
“Th anks to the environmental stewards at
P.S. 223, their new green playground will
capture nearly 2 million gallons of stormwater
annually — which will in turn help
to improve the quality of life in southeast
Queens.”
For nearly 25 years, TPL has guided
thousands of students and parents to make
the most of their schoolyards, putting
217 community schoolyards where they
are needed most. Under TPL’s NYC Park
Equity Plan, the organization is planning to
build 100 more in neighborhoods that have
crowded parks; TPL’s data shows that communities
of color have 33% less park space
per capita in NYC.
TPL’s community schoolyard transformations
include agreements between a
school district and other local agencies
to allow the community to use the space
when school is closed. According to new
research from TPL, open access to all public
schoolyards across the country during
non-school hours would put a park within
a 10-minute walk of more than 19.6 million
people, including 5.2 million children,
who currently lack access.
Read more on QNS.com.
Resorts World New York City celebrates 10 years in Queens
BY NATALIE LOWIN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Resorts World in New York City
(RWNYC) is celebrating 10 years of operating
in Queens.
Th e South Ozone Park casino has generated
over $3 billion dollars to fund public
education and has developed initiatives
to support local communities and
organizations.
Resorts World has formed the
Community Partner Program with dozens
of local small businesses and created
thousands of good-paying union jobs for
local residents. More than 80 local businesses
are part of this program in which
RWNYC guests can enjoy discounts and
savings by participating retailers.
Th e anniversary celebration started in
August with the grand opening of Hyatt
Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World
New York. Th e eight-story luxury hotel
features 400 residential-inspired guest
rooms, premium suites with energizing
design and insightful in-room technology.
Th e hotel also features a Sugar Factory
American Brasserie, a fi tness center, stateof
the-art conference and meeting spaces,
and additional gaming areas. Th e property
also features a soaring grand lobby
which is perfectly suited for art exhibits,
events and musical performances.
“I want to thank the millions of guests,
the thousands of team members and the
entire Queens community for making
the last decade one that was fi lled with
fun, excitement and camaraderie,” said
Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting
Americas East. “From the recent opening
of our world-class hotel to generating
more than $3 billion in revenue to support
New York’s public schools to being
welcomed as a community partner and
Queens neighbor, there’s been much to
celebrate, and we are honored to be able
to mark this anniversary. Th e best part of
today is knowing that with our talented
team, the support of the Queens community
and our wonderful guests, the next
decade will be even better, and we can’t
wait to celebrate our 20th anniversary in
2031!”
There is
more to
c o m e
w i t h
Resorts World building developments.
Next summer, Newburgh mall will be
getting the addition of Resorts World
Hudson Valley. Th at 90,000-square-foot
slots casino will bring more than 200 new
jobs to the area. Additionally, construction
on Resorts World Catskills’ Monster
Golf Course, designed by Rees Jones,
will begin next year.
To thank their patrons, RWNYC
will off er guests a chance to win big
on Wednesdays and Th ursdays
in November for their $15,000
Gobble It Up Slot
Tournament. On Th anksgiving Day,
guests have a chance to win their share of
$31,500 cash, with names being drawn all
aft ernoon.
For more information, visit
rwnewyork.com.
Courtesy RWCNYC
Resorts World Casino New York City is
celebrating 10 years of operating in
Queens.
Photo courtesy of The Trust for Public Land
The newly renovated community playground at P.S. 223Q in Jamaica
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