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QUEENS WEEKLY, JULY 14, 2019
Millions for makeover at Whitestone’s Francis Lewis Park
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A Whitestone park
will get some long-awaited
improvements thanks in
part to funding from a
Queens councilman.
As part of the nearly $19
million Councilman Paul
Vallone secured in capital
funding, the lawmaker
announced that he and the
City Council had allocated
$2 million for improvements
at Francis Lewis Park.
Vallone secured this
funding for northeast
Queens as part of the $92.8
billion budget agreement
between Mayor de Blasio
and the City Council back
in June.
The councilman’s office
allocated $300,000 and
partnered with Speaker
Corey Johnson to allocate
an additional $1.7 million.
The funding will go toward
improvements including
pathway repavings and
updates to the 3rd Avenue
entrance of the park as well
as the Veterans Memorial.
“I am thrilled to
announce this funding
allocation, which will go
a long way to improve
one of northeast Queens’
waterfront gems,” said
Vallone. “Access to
our public spaces is an
integral part of ensuring
sustained quality of life in
Northeast Queens. I thank
Speaker Johnson for his
partnership, and I know
these improvements will
be enjoyed by families in
northeast Queens for years
to come!”
According to Vallone’s
office, he will meet with
community leaders this
winter to discuss the scope
of the upgrades to Francis
Lewis Park.
“We are beyond excited
to be so generously included
in the City’s budget,” said
Dorian Colucci Mecir, copresident
of Friends of
Francis Lewis Park. “We
are grateful to Council
Member Vallone and the
City Council for their
support of these important
improvements for the crown
jewel of our neighborhood.
The repair and
beautification of Francis
Lewis Park will bring
joy and recreation to the
community for many years
to come.”
The Whitestone park was
named after Francis Lewis,
an American merchant and
a signer of the Declaration
of Independence. In 1937,
the Parks Department
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acquired the land from
the private estate of
Edwin H. Brown and
transformed it into a public
recreational space.
“As the President of
The Greater Whitestone
Taxpayers Civic
Association, I would like to
thank Councilman Vallone
for all he has done for our
community,” said Kim
Cody. “With this additional
$2 million investment
in Francis Lewis Park,
once again he has worked
diligently on behalf of the
community. Though we
appreciate all the areas he
is scheduling for upgrades,
I believe the Monument in
Francis Lewis Park being
upgraded has been long
overdue. On behalf of all
our members and all of the
residents of Whitestone,
thank you.”
Over the past 27 years,
Francis Lewis Park
has received several
renovations and upgrades.
In 1992, the park received
a $466,000 upgrade to
reconstruct the shoreline,
overlook and embankment
areas to correct and
prevent severe erosion.
In 1999, former Queens
Borough President Claire
Shulman advocated
for the installation of a
bocce court.
In April 2019, Whitestone
resident Jonathan Salazar
saw the completion of
the park’s own Little
Free Library, a take and
return public book system
he had been pushing
since 2018.
“Francis Lewis Park
is the crown jewel of our
community,” said We
Love Whitestone Civic
President Alfredo Centola.
“We are pleased to be
part of this process and
look forward to the final
product to be enjoyed by
our community for years
to come.”
Francis Lewis Park in Whitestone Photo credit: NYC Parks