De Blasio administration launches Community Parks Initiative

October 7, 2014 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Bill de Blasio launched a new NYC parks initiative on Tuesday.

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Mayor Bill de Blasio and Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP on Tuesday launched the Community Parks Initiative (CPI) —a multi-faceted program to invest in under-resourced public parks located in New York City’s densely populated and growing neighborhoods with higher-than-average concentrations of poverty.

CPI’s first phase will target 35 community parks through a $130 million capital investment that promotes the full re-creation of these parks, $7.2 million in expense funding for Fiscal Year 2015, and $36.3 million in capital funding from the Department of Environmental Protection for green infrastructure improvements at these sites. CPI’s first phase will target 55 neighborhoods across the five boroughs, reaching approximately 220,000 New Yorkers living within a 10-minute walk of the targeted parks. In its entirety, the initiative’s first phase represents over $173 million in capital and expense funding.

CPI represents the first phase of NYC Parks: Framework for an Equitable Future. The framework outlines NYC Parks’ commitment to increasing the accessibility and quality of New York City’s parks in neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs through a dynamic series of immediate steps and long-term initiatives to support sustainable, equitable park development and implement a targeted level of service improvements across the park system.

The announcement was held at Bowne Playground in Queens—one of 35 sites that will benefit from an infusion of capital investment, community outreach, expanded recreational programming and increased maintenance.

“It does not matter if you are young or old, if you are rich or poor—our parks bring together Brooklynites of every age, race and income level,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “I will continue to use my capital budget to ensure that improvements to our parks and our open spaces are made across the borough in an equitable fashion—from Cobble Hill to Canarsie and from Bay Ridge to Brownsville.”

“A year and a half ago, folks were not talking about parks equity, and now Mayor de Blasio is addressing the most glaring inequities in neighborhood parks around the city,” said state Sen. Daniel Squadron.

The following Brooklyn parks were identified for full re-creations in CPI’s first phase of investment: Jesse Owens Playground, Saratoga Ballfields, Stockton Playground, Stroud Playground, Ten Eyck Playground and Thomas Boyland Park.

For additional information on the Community Parks Initiative, visit nyc.gov/parks.