By Cynthia Koons
The Gertrude Ederle Amphitheater project, a $13.3 million undertaking funded during the Giuliani administration, is nearly complete.
Already the park property that surrounds the waterfront is restored with shrubbery, a comfort station, benches and an “Ugly Duckling”-inspired storytelling alcove.
“They've been using 80 percent of the site,” the project's contractor, Anthony Chiodi of ADC Contracting, said last Thursday while walking through the partially constructed concession stand.
The pavilion-style food stand overlooks the water alongside a large deck with new lampposts and benches. Beyond the waterfront, sprawling park space has been restored with shrubs, trees and flowers. A reading alcove was also built for young children to rest in.
The entire project spans 17 acres of the 1,255-acre park. Where a pool named for Ederle once stood, a deck was built on piles in the water. The Ederle pool used to be on piles in the same waterfront location.
“I used to play in the pool,” said Chiodi, a Bayside resident. His company was also responsible for rebuilding the College Point ballfields until they were fired in December after the city said he missed his deadline.
For this project, Bob Toth, also of ADC, said the company was ahead of schedule.
ADC is building a concession stand alongside the deck, which will be finished within the month, Chiodi said. That will complete the amphitheater project.
Ederle was the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926, beating the men's world record by more than six hours. She lived in Flushing for many years and the pool, built during the 1939 World's Fair, was named for her. She died in November.
“This is commemorating the anniversary of her successful swim across the English Channel,” said a spokeswoman for the Parks Department, the city agency that commissioned the project.
Ederle swam across the horseshoe pool that used to be on the site of the new deck on Aug. 8, 1939 to celebrate Ederle Day, the spokeswoman said.
Chiodi said he has already seen park-goers riding their bikes through the pathways and using the new storytelling area where duck statues now stand.
Biker Ewa Bronski of Rego Park said she has seen this part of the park under construction for years.
“This is beautiful, but it's not finished,” she said. She was skeptical about the reconstruction of the site because it has been in ruins for quite some time.
And while he relaxed on a bench in the refurbished part of the park last Thursday afternoon, Jose Ramos of Jackson Heights said he remembers how dilapidated the site once was.
“There was a pool here. People don't take care of it,” Ramos said. “It was closed about five years.”
Melody Moore said she wonders if improvements to the park are not just part of the citywide attempt to win the bid for the 2012 Olympics.
“I've heard rumors that there's everything from dredging the lakes to improving the park,” she said. “I don't know if it's part of that or just cleaning up the park, which is very nice.”
Reach reporter Cynthia Koons by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 141.
