Phipps Playground (QP)
Oct. 3, 2016, By Hannah Wulkan
A site many long feared would be developed will instead become a city park, preserving its legacy as one of the last depression-era playgrounds left in the city, announced Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer today.
The former Phipps Playground, located at the corner of 39th Avenue and 50th Street, has been vacant for about 30 years. Though eyed for development back in 2013, the community and Landmarks Preservation Commission shot down the proposal, keeping hopes alive for a public park.
Van Bramer has helped fulfill that hope, securing $3 million to acquire and renovate the park, which is currently owned by DBH Associates, a development company.
“This is a very, very close knit community, we know our neighbors, and we have a strong sense of identity, what’s right for our community,” Van Bramer said. “I believe that everyone here feels lucky to live in Sunnyside and Woodside, and we’re going to make sure that generations that come after us also feel very lucky to call themselves Sunnysiders and Woodsiders,” he added.
DBH bought the site from Phipps Houses in 2007 with the intention of developing it, and in 2013 proposed a plan to bring an aluminaire house constructed in 1931 to the lot, which would essentially be a vacant sculpture, and build eight accompanying residential units.
Community uproar, including opposition from Van Bramer, Congressman Joe Crowley, Senator Mike Gianaris, Community Board 2, and ultimately the Landmarks Preservation Commission, shut down the project.
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services and the Parks Department are currently negotiating with DBH to buy the property, and the sale will likely close in the coming months. Once it is finalized, the park will go through the standard review, design and construction phases, likely taking several years.
“We hope that this will be kept as an open space for the use of the community and all the future children, adults, and seniors as well,” said Gerry Perrin, a lifelong resident of Phipps Houses who played in the playground while growing up in the 1930s and 1940s.
He also showed off photographs of himself and other children playing in the playground 70 years ago.
Herb Reynolds, of the Sunnyside Gardens Preservation Alliance, recalled petitioning on behalf of Van Bramer’s campaign in 2009 and speaking to a woman who said she would like to see the playground be revitalized. “I thought, honestly, that is the biggest pipe dream I have ever heard, but yes go right ahead, let’s do it.”
Since 2009, Reynolds said, he and other community members have sought private funding to revive the playground and have fought off developers aiming to build on the lot.
Now, he said, the site will be a public park for the first time ever and “a garden oasis where we can come… and all of our neighbors young and old can learn to appreciate the natural world.”
“This is a model community in the city of New York that I think neighborhoods all over the city of New York aspire to be what we here in Sunnyside and Woodside know is a working neighborhood and community,” Van Bramer said. “This park, which was once a pipe dream as Herb said, is now on its way and on target for becoming a public open space for this community”
Though there are still quite a few steps before the park is completed, Van Bramer promised a positive outcome for the project. “We’re going to stay on it, as all of you have learned I never give up, I fight really hard, even sometimes against really powerful forces, and we win, we win for this community,” he said.
Old photo displayed at press conference (QP)
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30 Comments
Angela, nobody who is homeless could afford the rents for the monstrosity that was proposed by Weinstein & Co. It was a classic Trojan Horse.
One does not go from “homeless” to making $100,000.00 a year to be able to afford the rents proposed.
JVB…Putting Democracy before “Developers”!!!
Thanks Councilman Jimmy on behalf of all the homeless people who could have had affordable housing. Well at least their children can come play at the playground. I’m sure they won’t be allowed.
Let’s make it a place to come out of our, admittedly, lovely homes to come together as a community. Nice step forward!
This is great news. Next two steps we need are 1. Get proper maintenance for Doughboy Park, 2. Make Sunnyside Gardens park publicly available to all.
It isn’t for sale.
so how much profit is DBH making on this deal…. any answers sunnyside post?
DBH paid 1.7 Million In 2007. That leaves 1.3 Million left over.
How much do you think It would cost to transform this space Into a park.
he is looking to run for mayor wait and see
More space for the homeless to live.
10 years later >_>
Well at least we will have a place for the kids at the new middle school and the homeless from Dough Boy Park to hang out. Yeah! JVB!!!
Great! I just hope that after completion will be maintained and not be a homeless residence and dogs poop place like the recently renovated park on greenpoint ave and 42nd street!
The space where the bum and hang out should have been made a dog park and it would be a better park for all.
It’s odd to see only two parked cars on the street in that old photo.
it was alternate side parking that day
i live close to here and it’s been derelict for so long, it’s almost hard to believe this is really happening. thanks to everyone involved.
great news. it’s been derelict for so long it’s almost hard to believe it’s really happening. thanks all.
Another good thing. Thanks JVB, Herb & others who pushed to make this happen. Hope there’s money for maintenance too.
Friends of the Corner Garden should form now.
Yay good news on sunnysidepost finally !
Oh, well done JVB.
This great news although be prepared for it to be a middle school hang out if the school location is approved.
It’s approved .. so hopefully they will hang out there instead of my corner
No not there! Over at Sports Authority. Herb you are in charge of impossible feats. Get that school out of SG! That silly couple should be spanked.
Sports Authority site makes so much sense for the school and by not being on Barnett it will preserve the neighborhood!
According to the SCA website the school location is proposed. They are accepting public comments for a few weeks
Yaaayyy more parks, great news, great job Van Bramer! 🙂
Every time I’ve walked past that lot I’ve thought what a shame it is that it’s not public green space. Thanks to everyone who kept working on that goal, especially Jimmy!
Hurray says the Squirrels