Councilman David G. Greenfield was joined at P.S. 192 on 18th Avenue between 47th Street and 48th Street in Boro Park on Friday by State Senator Simcha Felder, Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey, Community Board 12 Chairman Yidel Perlstein and schools officials to break ground on a new public playground under construction in the school’s rear yard. This project, which is part of the city’s Schoolyards to Playgrounds initiative, is expected to be completed by next summer and will be the first new park in that section of the community in decades. In addition, it will include a play area designed specifically to accommodate children of all abilities, including those in wheelchairs.

“We are finally living up to our neighborhood’s name – Boro Park – as a result of this project and the fact that we are funding improvements to every single park around the area. I am especially proud that this new playground will include play equipment that can accommodate children of all ages and abilities, including those in wheelchairs. Thanks to Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Jeffrey and the entire P.S. 192 team for their hard work on this project. I especially want to thank my friend Senator Felder for starting this project five years ago when he was our councilman, and I am thrilled to have secured the funding to finish it,” said Councilman Greenfield.

“Thanks to generous allocations from Council Member Greenfield, Senator Felder and Mayor Bloomberg, we are transforming the lot at P.S. 192 into a destination playground. As a part of the Schoolyards to Playgrounds initiative, the new park will feature sports fields and new play equipment, and it will be fully accessible so that children of all abilities can enjoy it,” said Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Jeffrey.

“I worked years to plan for and secure the necessary funding for this new park in the heart of the community. I applaud Councilman Greenfield for sharing my commitment to bettering our community and for seeing this project through to completion,” said Senator Felder.

“This is a very exciting moment for our school and our students. We have been eagerly awaiting this since the new playground was first announced and can’t wait to see what the final product looks like. I especially want to thank Senator Felder and Councilman Greenfield because without them this project would not be where it is right now,” said P.S. 192 Principal Liset Isaac.

“My thanks to Councilman Greenfield and Senator Felder on behalf of the entire community for making this a reality. This new playground will be a tremendous addition to this corner of Boro Park, which currently does not have enough play spaces to meet the growing community’s needs. I have no doubt that many families will take advantage of this great new park once it opens next summer,” said Chairman Perlstein.

The new playground was funded by a $1.2 million allocation by Councilman Greenfield and Senator Felder and a $394,450 contribution from Mayor Michael Bloomberg. It will include a large running track, a tennis court, basketball hoops, two new turf fields, a tot lot, an area for 5 to 12 year-olds and a large ramped unit to accommodate children of all abilities. Maps and games will be painted on the asphalt and more than 25 trees and numerous benches will be installed throughout the site.

The Schoolyards to Playgrounds initiative is intended to meet the goal of ensuring that all New Yorkers live within ten minutes of a park or playground. The program has already resulted in the opening of hundreds of schoolyards to the public around the five boroughs, including P.S. 164 on 14th Avenue in Boro Park. The effort is a joint initiative between NYC Parks, the Department of Education, the non-profit Trust for Public Land and local elected officials like Councilman Greenfield who help fund the individual projects.

Once the playground at P.S. 192 is completed next summer, it will be used by students during the school day and will be open to the public after school and on weekends and holidays until dusk. In addition to this project, Councilman Greenfield is working to renovate every park and playground in the district, including Gravesend Park, Seth Low Park, Di Gilio Playground, Friends Field, Kolbert Park, Col. Marcus Playground and the Ocean Parkway Malls. Overall, Councilman Greenfield has secured $15 million in funding in a few short years to fund these improvements at every single park in his district, including $3.68 million in this year’s city budget.

(YWN Desk – NYC)