New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks), and the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced, on Sept. 14, a pilot program to re-imagine and invest in nearly three acres of NYCHA open space, including playgrounds, at two developments in the Soundview section of The Bronx, three in Queens, and one in Brooklyn.

 

The announcement was held at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new open space at Pomonok Houses in Queens, which has been fully reconstructed under the pilot program and now includes fitness equipment, sensory play equipment, seating, and new landscaping.

 

“New York City’s parks, playgrounds, and open spaces aren’t luxuries, but necessities — playing a critical role to build community and nurturing our physical, mental, and emotional health,” said Adams. “This investment in NYCHA’s playgrounds and open spaces is a down payment on our city’s future that will pay dividends for generations to come.”

 

NYCHA and NYC Parks officials said they met with the residents at Woodside, Pomonok, Redfern, Watson, Sotomayor, and Kingsborough Houses to choose locations and help create the vision for their brand new open spaces. Since receiving community feedback, they said construction has finished at Pomonok Houses, is underway at Woodside and Redfern Houses, is expected to begin at Watson and Kingsborough Houses by spring 2023, and begin at Sotomayor Houses by summer 2023.

 

Deputy mayor for operations, Meera Joshi, said of the new program that every New Yorker should be able to walk to a clean, quality, and functional open space. “By working closely, NYCHA and NYC Parks are making this reality,” she said. “These revitalized areas will be important sources of health and community for the residents. We still have much work to do, but this is a big step in the right direction.”

 

Projects included in the initial pilot program, according to city officials, include:

 

Sotomayor Houses (Soundview, Bronx) ($1.9 million)

• Size: 9,900 square feet
• Scope: This project will revamp a playground at Sotomayor Houses with new play equipment, water play, game tables, benches, landscaping, and brand-new swings.

Watson Houses (Soundview, Bronx) ($2.5 million)

• Size: 9,300 square feet
• Scope: This project will revamp a playground and seating area at 1471 Watson Houses to include new play equipment, game tables, benches, water play, landscaping, and brand new adult fitness equipment.

Redfern Houses (Queens) ($9.3 million)

• Size: 50,000 square feet of NYCHA recreation area and Redfern Playground
• Scope: This project will reconstruct Redfern Playground and the adjacent NYCHA open space to include an upgraded ball field, basketball court, and handball court, play equipment, fitness equipment for teens and adults, and a grilling area.

Woodside Houses (Queens) ($1.2 million)

• Size: 6,500 square feet
• Scope: This project will revamp a passive seating and landscaped area at Woodside Houses with new game tables, benches, landscaping, and pathways.

Pomonok Houses (Queens) ($3 million)

• Size: 13,000 square feet
• Scope: This project has re-imagined an open space at Pomonok Houses to include fitness equipment, sensory play equipment, seating, and new landscaping.

Kingsborough Houses (Brooklyn) ($5.1 million)

• Size:20,000 and 16,000 square feet
• Scope: This project will revitalize two playgrounds at Kingsborough Houses with new play equipment, game tables, benches, water play, and landscaping.

 

Jessica Katz, chief housing officer, said, in part, that the new partnership between NYCHA and NYC Parks to overhaul open spaces and playgrounds at the six developments would bring joy to thousands of public housing residents.

 

The news was also welcomed by NYC parks commissioner, Sue Donoghue, who said all New Yorkers deserved to have high-quality parks that are just a short walk away from their homes.

 

Meanwhile, Greg Russ, NYCHA chair, said providing accessible open spaces that connected NYCHA residents to outdoor activity and recreation was essential to improving the quality of life for their campuses. “Today’s exciting partnership is made possible through the support of the mayor’s office and the capacity of NYC Parks, and is in keeping with the authority’s ‘Connected Communities’ initiative, which engages in robust agency partnerships and resident-focused input to increase green space equity and integrate resilience in our neighborhoods,” he said.

 

As part of the partnership, city officials said NYC Parks will maintain and operate the renovated open spaces, adding that revitalizing these spaces will create new amenities for the NYCHA community and other New Yorkers who currently do not live within walking distance of a park.

 

Citywide, 83.6 percent of New Yorkers currently live within walking distance of a park. The Walk to a Park initiative focuses on increasing access to parks and open spaces, concentrating on areas of the city that are under-resourced and where residents are living further than a walk to a park.

 

State Sen. Luis Sepúlveda (S.D. 32), who represents parts of the South and Central Bronx, said all investments in NYCHA were necessary, welcome and do justice to “our people.” He added, “I salute Mayor Adams and the NYC Parks for this multi-million dollar investment in our people. Recreational spaces are a right and not a luxury, NYCHA residents and especially our children deserve investments that can elevate their quality of life. Budget dollars invested directly in the well-being of our communities is the best use of public funds.”

 

State Assembly Member Chantel Jackson, (A.D. 79) who represents parts of Concourse Village, Morrisania, Melrose, Belmont, Claremont and East Tremont, said, “The announcement by the mayor and NYC Parks that $23 million will be used to develop open spaces at NYCHA developments across the city is what residents deserve.” She added, “After all the years of divestment they’ve experienced, it is necessary that we provide NYCHA tenants with spaces that are clean, safe and functional.”

 

Meanwhile, District 18 City Councilwoman Amanda Farías, who represents the neighborhoods of Soundview, Soundview, Castle Hill, Parkchester, Clason Point, and Harding Park, said, “The past few years have shown us how important our greenspaces and parks are to New Yorkers of all ages, especially in our outer-borough and lower income communities.

 

She added, “The Soundview community has dealt with years of divestment and has been long underserved by local, state, and federal government. That is why I am overjoyed to see that Sonia Sotomayor Houses, in my council district, will receive substantial outdoor renovations as part of this pilot program.”

 

Farías concluded, “This announcement is a good first step in showing that our city is willing to make significant investments in our NYCHA properties and our families. Thank you to Mayor Eric Adams and the teams at NYC Parks and NYCHA for your collaboration on this project. I look forward to seeing this project come to fruition and working together to keep improving our NYCHA developments.”

 

District 13 City Council Marjorie Velázquez, who represents the Bronx neighborhoods of Allerton, City Island, Country Club, Edgewater Park, Ferry Point, Locust Point, Morris Park, Pelham Bay, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway, Schuylerville, Silver Beach, Spencer Estates, Throggs Neck, Van Nest, Waterbury LaSalle, Westchester Square, and Zerega, said for far too long NYCHA communities had been left out of the quality of life conversations, particularly on developments with youth populations.

 

“The pilot program is a segway to identifying the different needs of our communities for them to have access to modernized spaces and lead healthy lives,” she said. “While the style and construction vary based on the community, this also allows for the new additions to reflect the community it serves. I look forward to seeing the benefits of this partnership come to life and working with the mayor to expand this program to the Northeast Bronx.”