You are reading

$2.3 million revamp of Elmhurst park is complete, pols cut ribbon

June 6, 2017 By Jason Cohen

Elected officials and the Parks Department unveiled a $2.3 million renovation of Veterans Grove Playground in Elmhurst this morning.

The park, located at Judge Street and 43rd Ave., now features a new dog run, upgraded swings, new steel fencing, a new drinking fountain, bike racks, an interactive sprinkler and an underground water system, where receptacles catch the runoff water so it does not go into the city’s sewer system.

In 2013, Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), allocated $1.5 million to renovate the park. This money, along with $175,000 from Borough President Melinda Katz and $550,000 from the Mayor, funded the upgrades.

Construction began in June 2016 and finished in March, nine months ahead of schedule.

“This has been a jewel in the community, but it really needed a facelift,” said Councilman Dromm.

The playground is dedicated to the memory of soldiers from Elmhurst who lost their lives in World War I and includes a plaque honoring these veterans. The park was established in 1928.

The park, which used to be “dark and dingy,” needed to be made more welcoming, Dromm commented. With St. Bartholomew School across the street, the councilman stressed that those kids should have a colorful, vibrant place where they can go every day after school.

“We envisioned a place that’s friendly for children and adults alike,” he said.

In addition, to Veterans Grove Playground, Dromm has allocated $5 million to improve parks and playgrounds in Elmhurst, including Crowley Playground, Hoffman Park, CC Moore Playground and Newtown Playground.

 

email the author: [email protected]

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Mason

Doesn’t help anyone in Jackson Heights. I am happy for the folks in Elmhurst. However, there is NO green space within walking distance of where I live. The parks in JH are all black top. Half of all the space is dedicated to adults with children. Adult males w/o a kid are banned. BTW-I understand this but adult males need green spaces too.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Met Council leader warns of ‘catastrophe’ for low-income families in Queens due to lack of pandemic-era federal food aid

Mar. 28, 2023 By Bill Parry

As an accomplished legislator, law professor and media personality with broad experience in government and not-for-profit organizations, Met Council CEO and executive director David Greenfield is well aware of the power of words. With Passover arriving on Wednesday, April 5, and with federal pandemic food assistance no longer available to low-income families in Queens, the leader of the nation’s largest Jewish charity organization warned of a coming “catastrophe” and called for the city to step up to provide $13 million in emergency funding for pantries to help New Yorkers facing food insecurity and elevated costs of living in the borough.

Pair of Queens community organizations will activate public spaces to celebrate local cultures

Two Queens community organizations are among an inaugural cohort of five groups citywide that will lead new projects to celebrate local cultures and histories in public spaces under a new initiative called The Local Center in a partnership between Urban Design Forum and the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development (ANHD).

At a time when New York is grappling with an uneven pandemic recovery and as displacement looms large for communities and neighborhoods across the five boroughs, this new endeavor will convene interdisciplinary teams to transform and activate the shared spaces where cultural traditions flourish — and importantly, center the community visions and leadership that is too often left out of the process.