After one year of reconstruction, Norwood’s Whalen Park officially reopened to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local officials and family members of the patriarch behind the park’s name.

“I couldn’t stop crying,” said Kate Armstrong, daughter of the late Henry A. Whalen, a Norwood resident and the park’s namesake. “Our father would be so proud of this. Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that it would turn into this great park that it is today.”

The park, located on Perry Avenue and 205th Street, has been revamped with the installation of new playground equipment, including climbing blocks and spray showers. A “story time corner” has also been added to the park for library reading groups and other group gatherings. Park benches, game tables, and park lighting are placed throughout the park as well.

“Today we have a park that’s as good as any park in the city,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen. “To see the transformation of Whalen Park, it just restores my faith.”

The $1.8 million reconstruction project received funding from government agencies and representatives, including $820,000 from the New York City Council, $552,000 from Mayor Bill de Blasio, and $425,000 from Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. The Parks Department started developing plans to redesign the park as early as 2013.

Henry Whalen’s three daughters – Eileen, Kate, and Nancy – attended the ceremony along with their husbands, children, and grandchildren. Whalen was a World War II veteran, a community advocate who worked to open the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kingsbridge, and was an active church member. He and his daughters lived just a block away from the park, visiting regularly.

At the reopening, children were already playing on the playground and were welcomed to join the Mosholu Public Library’s reading session in the park.

“We came here and saw all these kids here and it’s so moving,” said Armstrong. “Because when we were kids there were kids all over the place, climbing the trees, and just having fun. It was just a neighborhood full of kids and even though we moved away, it’s still a neighborhood full of kids. So the tradition lives on.”