Southern Fields gains baseball field and cricket pitch

Southern Fields has come a long way.
In 2005, $1.2 million went to a new synthetic soccer field with new goal posts, landscaping and fencing at the park, located off North Conduit Boulevard, near 114th Street.
And on Wednesday, November 10, Borough President Helen Marshall, Parks Department officials and members of Community Board 10 (CB) gathered to cut the ribbon on a new and much-needed baseball field and cricket pitch.
The new, natural grass baseball field is part of an ongoing commitment by Marshall to the borough’s parks and recreational areas.
“It is imperative we keep green spaces and the availability of parks for people who live in the area,” said CB 10 chair Betty Braton, who noted that the baseball field had been in “horrendous” condition. “And it’s imperative that borough presidents maintain their discretionary spending for these projects.”
Braton pointed out that Marshall’s predecessor, former Borough President Claire Shulman, allocated funds for repairs to the Lefferts Playground – and that, “over $6 million in taxpayer dollars [has been given] to our area to broaden the number of parks facilities.”
These include Loring, PALs Oval, Tudor Park, and, of course, Southern Fields.
For this renovation, Marshall provided the bulk of the funding, $2 million, and the Bloomberg administration provided an additional $40,000.
Since coming into office, Marshall has provided more than $141 million for park improvements, renovations, new fields and equipment.
“I thank Mayor Bloomberg, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski for working with my office in a combined effort to make these new fields a reality,” said the borough president.
Braton echoed the sentiment.
“We appreciate every parks dollar that gets spent,” she said.