Residents Can Nominate Local Parks that Require Modernization, as Part of $425 Million Project

By Yehudit Garmaise

      After Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday that the city has begun updating 10 new neighborhood parks, through the Community Parks Initiative (CPI), which provides $425 million to modernize and upgrade neglected city playgrounds this morning, he explained how communities can advocate for particular parks to be modernized.

     “So, the process is: the Department of Parks is listening to local elected officials, community boards, and community members,” Mayor de Blasio said. “We want to hear those nominations.

      “This is going to be a big effort over years, so we welcome community members helping the Department of Parks to know where there is the greatest need, so we can spend that money wisely.”

     Readers who would like to nominate local parks to be chosen for CPI funding can reach out to elected officials, community boards, and the Parks Department.

     In Brooklyn, two parks are among the 10 that are currently under renovations: Marc and Jason’s Playground, which is at 329 Sterling St, and has been closed, and Jerome Playground, which is at Wortman Ave. between Jerome St. and Warwick St.

     Once parks are selected, New Yorkers meet with parks designers to share their visions for how they would like their neighborhood parks to be transformed, Gabrielle Fialkoff, the commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation, said yesterday.

     CPI redesigns and rebuilds community parks neglected by previous administrations and focuses on highly populated, low-income areas and parks that have received than $250,000 for upgrades, in the last 20 years. Since 2014, CPI has fully re-imagined 67 parks, and 62 of which are already open to the public.

     The mayor pointed out that small, local city playgrounds are what he wants to improve.

     “CPI is a big, big initiative: $425 million to fix up parks, but not the famous, big-name parks, that thank G-d, also have other forms of support, but for real neighborhood parks that often go neglected and need a lot more help.

     The mayor explained yesterday that while the city loves its “big famous parks,” community parks also need and deserve “attention, love, and investment. “Many, many people depend on those parks.

     “Some of these parks have not gotten invested in decades. Now, we get it right. We bring them to a beautiful, modern state-of-the-art place so communities can enjoy them. And then, that will last for decades to come.”