Feb. 18, 2016 By Michael Florio
Two Astoria playgrounds will soon undergo renovations.
Astoria Heights Playground, located on 30th Road between 45th and 46th Streets, and Van Alst Playground, located off of 21st Street between 29th and 30th Avenues, will both be renovated as part of the Community Parks Initiative, a city plan that aims to upgrade small, neighborhood parks.
The Mayor’s office has allocated $3,050,000 for the renovation of Van Alst Playground.
Meanwhile, they Mayor’s office has allocated $500,000 toward the $2 million upgrade of the Astoria Heights Playground. The City Council allocated $1,100,000 toward that playground and $500,000 came from the Borough President’s office.
Both renovations will include the installation of picnic tables and open lawn space, at the request of the community, a Parks Department spokeswoman said.
Van Alst Playground will also receive new spray showers, a new adult fitness station and a reconstructed handball court, as well as larger play equipment and swings. An asphalt field will be converted into a colorful multi-purpose sports area.
This renovation will also provide pedestrian light poles to improve nighttime surveillance.
Astoria Heights Playground will see added play equipment and an expanded track, according to the Parks Department.
Both of these projects have completed their design phases and will now enter procurement, where contractors bid on the project. This process is expected to take six to ten months.
Construction is expected to begin on both these projects “later this year,” the Parks spokeswoman said.
Both playgrounds will have to close during construction. The Parks Department did not provide a timetable for the construction process.
Playground Thirty-Five, located at 35th Avenue and Steinway Street, and Astoria Health Playground, located off of 14th Street, near 31st Road, are also being reconstructed through CPI.
The Parks Department will host public scoping sessions for these projects in the next few weeks, although exact dates and locations have yet to be announced.
Astoria Heights- Community 9-18-15-1 by Queens Post
.
Q321_Van Alst_PowerPoint Presentation_2015-05-12.pdf by Queens Post
Featured Events
One Comment
The playground at 21st Street and Hoyt is in serious need of renovation – it has to be one of the most depressing playgrounds in the city. Far more important than a million dollar dog run, especially since the existing run is hardly used.