July 18, 2017 By Jason Cohen
Elected officials and the Parks Department unveiled a $1.75 million renovation of Junction Playground in Jackson Heights Tuesday.
The park, located at 33-59 Junction Blvd., now features handball and basketball courts, new playground equipment and swings, spray showers, entrance plazas, landscaped areas, perimeter walls, entrance staircases, fences and sidewalks around the park.
Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, (D-East Elmhurst), allocated $1.4 million to renovate the park. This money, along with $350,000 from Borough President Melinda Katz, funded the upgrades.
Construction began in April 2016 and finished in June.
Ferreras-Copeland, who grew up in the area and used to frequent the park as a kid, said the playground is a second home for many children in the community.
“Parks are important for young people,” she said. “So many families that live in our city are living multiple families sometimes in one apartment. So this is their green space. This is our backyard.”
“As a proud daughter of Corona, as a proud daughter of Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst, I’m just humbled and excited to be here today to cut this ribbon,” she added. “It would break my heart seeing kids playing with equipment that needed to be updated.”
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3 Comments
Please it’ll just fall into disrepair another waste of money. It’ll be a hangout for dealers
What is the point of doing a new playground if they don’t put bathroom for the kids..!! I think they need to focuse more on what they are doing…
What is the point of doing a new playground if they don’t put bathroom for the kids..!! I think they need to focuse more on what they are doing…