Proud Of Our Parks

Winter is upon us, but our parks are teeming with activity … not to mention the flurry of activity indoors as we plan new projects to enhance parks.
As the Queens Borough Commissioner of Parks & Recreation, I would like to share with you just a few of the exciting projects happening in our borough. We have many capital construction and restoration projects taking place, and during the upcoming year, we will be focusing on expanding waterfront access and increasing recreational opportunities.
On the capital front, Parks is in the midst of a major initiative to improve Queens parks, with 33 projects costing $72 million under construction, and another 88 projects costing $67 million currently in design or procurement.
Just to give you a sample of the things we are working on … projects in Windmuller and Forest parks alone will bring new recreation and entertainment opportunities to Queens residents.
The $2.1 million rehabilitation of Windmuller Park will feature Queens’ first open-air performance area, as well as an improved mini-pool, pathways and basketball courts.
Forest Park’s Victory Field will also re-open this spring and feature a reconstructed rubberized track with a new multi-use synthetic turf field.
At Queens’ first major new park to open in decades, Fort Totten, we continue converting the former Army base into a beautiful 50-acre park. The historic battery has been renovated and is now open to the public. The $850,000 renovations to the museum and visitor center have begun and are scheduled to be completed in June.
Funds have also been allocated to purchase an electric tram, which will make the property more accessible to all park users, including those in wheelchairs. By next summer, one of the Fort’s playgrounds will have new play equipment installed.
To allow the public to experience Queens’ waterways and view the borough’s sites from offshore, we plan to increase water access points. In addition to the three existing canoe and kayak launches and the reopening of two locations that have been closed for security since 9/11, we have four additional locations that are in various stages of design and permitting - Idlewild, MacNeil, Fort Totten and Hallet’s Cove.
The Urban Park Rangers will also be offering canoe excursions on Willow Lake in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, and in partnership with the Long Island City Community Boathouse, the public can take canoe tours of Hallet’s Bay.
After evaluating available programming, we’ve also identified some neighborhoods that are in need of more. We will be increasing partnerships and expanding events and programming to neighborhoods such as Jackson Heights, Bayside, Woodside and others.
In addition, to build on Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe’s legacy of bringing fitness programs outdoors, we will be launching a mobile fitness van that will travel around the borough, offering various activities.
Finally, I turn to the borough’s largest park, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Many are concerned following the recent incidents there, but I assure you that crime is at an all-time low and New York Police Department (NYPD) is diligently working to make all 1,255 acres of the park even safer. Parks works closely with the police, and we have increased Parks Enforcement Patrol to supplement the NYPD officers assigned to the area. We want everyone to feel welcome and safe as they enjoy all that the park has to offer.
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is also bustling with improvement and preservation projects. I outlined many of the projects in my November Op-Ed column in this publication. This year we will see the result of many of those projects.
We continue to expand access to Willow Lake and, as mentioned above, the Urban Park Rangers will be hosting tours of the wetland. The state-of-the-art recreation center at Fowler Avenue will open this spring with a variety of sports activities for both youth and adults - racquetball, dance programs, aerobics classes, fitness programs, basketball programs, as well as an After School Program and Computer Resource Center. This fall, we also look forward to the opening of a new Olympic-size pool and NHL-standard ice rink.
I hope this small sampling gives you a glimpse of the many exciting things that are to come in Queens parks. As always, I encourage you to be involved in your local park and to contact me at 718-520-5905 or Dlewandowski@parks.nyc.gov with your questions and concerns.
Dorothy Lewandowski is Queens Borough Commissioner of Parks & Recreation.