Brookville Park is about to get brighter and more beautiful.
Next summer, the Parks Department will break ground on a $1.7 million renovation of the vast southeast Queens park, including flood lights at the tennis courts, more seating at the turf athletic field and an expanded picnic area.
Councilman Donovan Richards, state Senator James Sanders and Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski unveiled the planned improvements during a press conference at the park on Wednesday. Both Richards and Sanders allocated government funding toward the project.
“These renovations will allow more people to spend their free time in Brookville Park and enjoy their day for longer periods of time,” Richards said. “More importantly, our children will have more access to the amenities here with better lighting and more seating for sports fans to watch the local youth being active.”
Lights will be installed on the north and south sides of the Brookville Park tennis courts, extending the hours of activity there. The courts are used frequently by the Brookville Tennis Club, which provides free tennis lessons for local children.
“The jewel of New York City is Rosedale, and the jewel of Rosedale is Brookville Park,” Sanders added. “We have made a heavy investment in this park, and there is a reason why– when you have neighbors who have strongly supported this park, you have to stand by their actions, whether it be our tennis league taking our young people and shaping them into the next Arthur Ashe or Serena Williams, or the Friends of Brookville Park shaping the entirety of this area.”
Additionally, the Parks Department will install five-tiered steel bleachers at the 50 yard line on the park’s synthetic turf field, accommodating the hundreds of people who watch local youth soccer and football games. The bleachers will come with ADA-accessible paths connected with the park’s pathways.
“The design plan for Brookville Park will directly address the needs of park users by making enhancements to already existing, popular amenities in the park,” Lewandowski said. “We’re grateful to the City Council for their support in increasing access to this green gem in Rosedale.”
Finally, the park’s picnic area will be extended to the south and across an existing pathway, allowing for the introduction of eight ADA-accessible picnic tables and another eight standard picnic tables. Crews will also install five barbecue grills and four hot coal bin stations.
