Hart Playground
August 22, 2016 By Hannah Wulkan
Several local lawmakers announced today that a Woodside playground is getting a $3 million makeover that would add several new features and clearly delineate the children’s section.
Hart playground, located at 37th Avenue and 65th Street, has been the site of controversy over the last few years as many parents have expressed concerns about day laborers congregating outside the play area and the homeless using the bathrooms.
The park will be completely revamped, and will specifically be divided into sections for children and adults, according to Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.
The funding for the renovation was put together in collaboration between Van Bramer, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and the Parks Department.
“This will allow us to totally restore this playground and make it a more inviting place for toddlers, to separate toddlers from the older children, and allow for the adults to use the park in a nicer way than they currently do now,” said Queens Park Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski.
The groundbreaking of the park is expected to begin in about two years, said Lewandowski, though the planning process will begin this winter. It will begin with a public scoping meeting to hear the thoughts of the community, and following the meeting, the designer will put ideas together and contracts will be drawn up. Lewandowski explained that projects like these usually take about three years from start to finish.
Katz explained that the renovation of Hart Playground had been a high priority for Community Board 2 for many years, and that she and Van Bramer worked together to finally find the funds to “make sure that it really is the park that the neighborhood deserves.”
“We want to make sure that all the children of Woodside have the ability to play in this playground with the most modern equipment so they’re safe and they’re enjoying it,” Van Bramer said.
Though final plans are not drawn up, Van Bramer spoke to what he hopes to see done with the $2.7 million budget. He said that he hopes to replace all the old equipment and completely resurface the park to get rid of cracks in the pavement and hopefully make it safer for kids if they fall.
He also said that he would like to divide the park in to sections, rather than the fairly open layout it currently has, with one section where only children and their accompanying adults are allowed, and the other section open to the general public. He added that he would also like to see the sprinkler system replaced and some new plantings around the park.
“This is literally the last block of my district,” Van Bramer said, “but every single block in my district is important to me, every single park is important to me, every single part of Woodside is important and so we’re here today to make good on our promise that we represent every single block of our district.”
Katz also pointed out that the park is named after “a true public servant,” Brigadier General Joseph T. Hart, who not only served in World War II, but also worked at the Queen Borough President’s office and worked to improve Queens.
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15 Comments
These parks seem to get a makeover for a few years and then torn down and rebuilt a few years later.
another cement “park”!!! i have to go to the cemetery on queens blvd for green space and cleaner air. how sad is that! at then end of the day, even trees cant afford to pay rent.
Heh JVB-hows that pay raise treating ya???
Just driving past that park gives me the creeps
Nice job. Keep the dogs out. Sorry Rick.
Every block is important to me says jvb,So important that his wont tell his constituents about the new homeless shelter in the quality inn on queens Blvd and 53 street
JVB knew about the new homeless shelter at “Quality Inn” locateed at 53-05 Queens Boulevard from the very beginning he is full of you know what — he just did not want any picketing being done there well there should have been — a liar at his best –
Hart Playground is just that a Playground for 50 Plus years! Not a place for adults. Whose benefiting that we don’t know about? This sectioning off does not benefit the children.
Ok…….whose under the influence of an illegal substance? If I’m not mistaken the comment referenced in the article stated……. parents are concerned about day laborers congregating outside the “playground” Mmmmmm. What a great plan Ms. Katz and CB2 have put forward. Did they indicate they wanted to. taking away space from the children by sectioning off an area for adults? It seems the word adult is synonymous with day laborer. They seem to think parents concerns will be eliminated by bring these day laborers IN the playground. Now those “adults” who passed out in front of the playground can pass out on a bench in the playground. Or maybe they can get a closer view of children a few feet away. Are these Officials crazy? Or is someone benefiting that we don’t about.
Hart Playground is just that a playground and has been for 50 years plus. We have a sitting area 50 steps from Hart Playground let the “adults” sit and relax a safe distance from the children.
Plan on this not happening! We will be at every CB2 meeting and any meeting held by Parks. Taking space from kids, not going to happen.
Remember when that park opened the summer of 1956 …
..Was a nice addition to the neighborhood
Why? 3 million to fix a park that people who paid $57.13 in federal taxes to live better? How about 3 million on drones to watch all the homeless sexual predators DeBlasio is dumping in our neighbourhood
That picture is funny, the last 5 white people in that area
Name it after the day laborers.
JVB photo-op at his best again –
I will also be renamed to Hipster Playground