The makeover at Crowley Playground in Elmhurst is officially underway.
According to the city’s Parks Department, crews began renovating the green space sandwiched between 57th Avenue and the Long Island Expressway on Monday, March 6.
The improvements include reconstructing the park’s drainage system and repairing all fences within and around the park. Crews will also install new lighting, tables, benches and ground hydrants, as well as a new water fountain.
Playground equipment will also be replaced with modern play structures for both preschoolers and elementary school students. A new decorative spray shower with colored concrete and ground sprays will also be installed.
The $915,000 project, funded by the Mayor’s Office and Councilman Daniel Dromm, is scheduled for completion this fall, according to a Parks Department spokesperson.
Crowley Playground was initially acquired by the city as part of the LIE’s construction; the unused land was later transferred to the Parks Department, which then created the playground. It’s named for Walter Crowley, a local community activist and lawyer who was appointed to the City Council in January of 1985 to succeed Thomas Manton, who had been elected to Congress. Crowley, however, died in September of the same year; his wife, Mary, was appointed to take his place and served out the remainder of his term.
Walter and Mary Crowley are the parents of Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, who represents the 30th City Council District on the opposite side of the LIE from Crowley Playground.
