A local civic association leader’s hard work has paid off because the new Elmhurst Park he has campaigned for will soon officially open.
Nine years in the making, the park was the fruit of the Juniper Park Civic Association’s (JPCA) appealing to local elected officials and community organizing.
JCPA President Robert Holden believed that the area was underserved by parks.
“The Juniper Park Civic doesn’t give up,” said Holden. “We fight hard.”
The six-acre property rests between Grand Avenue and the Long Island Expressway. KeySpan had maintained gas tanks there until 1996, when they were dismantled, and later announced the property would be sold.
The park includes perimeter fencing, lawns, trees, a playground, paths for joggers, a kinetic sculpture, a seating area for seniors and a comfort station. $20 million was set aside for the project.
Previously, however, KeySpan had intended to sell the land to development company the Mattone Group in 2003, which had planned to turn the land into a Home Depot and a bank, Holden said.
This did not sit well with Holden, his civic colleagues Tony Nunziato and Manny Caruana, elected officials and some members of the community, so they began their quest to claim the land by forming a task force to create the park.
Through their efforts, KeySpan eventually sold the land to the city for $1 to create the park. The park is already in service, and the ribbon cutting is expected to take place within the next few weeks.
