Oct. 2, 2015 By Michael Florio
A worn-out Woodside Park is about to undergo a $1.8 million makeover.
A significant portion of Big Bush Park, located between 61st and 64th Street, will be repaired and new playground equipment will be installed.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz unveiled the plans Friday morning at Big Six Towers Community Center.
The renovations will apply to 0.9 acres of the 2.5-acre park.
The plans make way for new swings, a larger spray shower, as well as two play areas– one for children aged 2-5 years and another for children aged 5-12 years old.
The design makes room for a new adult fitness area, a new drinking fountain and a games table. The seating will be upgraded; the lighting improved; and additional space will be set aside for plants and shrubbery.
Forty trees will be planted in the park as part of the revamp.
Van Bramer and Katz allocated the funding for the makeover.
Van Bramer reached out to Katz last year after he heard from constituents that it needed to be refurbished.
“This is the only park that serves the people of the Big Six and this portion of Woodside,” Van Bramer said. “It is incredible well utilized,” he added, hence the need for it to be upgraded.
Dorothy Lewandowski, Queens Parks Commissioner, said the park is likely to get greater use once it is revamped.
“When we restore playgrounds it brings out new people,” she said. “They see something new and attractive that hasn’t been there before and want to check it out.”
The upgrade is expected to begin next year and to be completed in 2017.
12 Comments
YES START THE RENOVATIONS in may make sure no one can use the park until the first time it snows. they should be starting on it now and work all winter
what? no equa-volly courts in this one?? Guess they dont wanna lure those epic latino family bbq tent soccer weekends from happeneing like over by the farmers mkt.
Unbelievable that there is so much being spent on a playground when there are people without housing, living in the very same parks.
big bush park – mustve been named by 5 year old
Thanks JVB for sinking money into another park but not buying any extra garbage cans to keep your area any cleaner.
follow the money and see where it leads too –
We needed to remove the cans from 46th street, 47th street and 49th street at 43rd avenue because of people illegally dumping household trash in them. Would you like to view the photos we sent to Van Bramers office? Maybe you should find out some details about a topic before you shoot your uninformed mouth off. I believe that is the very definition of ignorant.
Modernization efforts should include changing the name from Big Bush Park to Bacon Strip Park.
Remove the handball courts. Handball is a fun sport but for some reason, these courts invite trash, drug-use and other shady activity.
then by all means they should remove the handball courts at 43rd Street park also — but wait that is JVB territory too — you have alot of people that love to play handball —
…or, balls in hand.
Shouldn’t you be rallying around some type of doctored video or something?