By Gina Martinez
City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and Borough President Melinda Katz Tuesday announced the final design for the second phase of Glendale’s Evergreen Playground renovation.
They were joined by Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski.
‘This new phase will focus on the playground between the comfort station and neighboring PS 68.
According to Parks, this portion of the project is intended to not only renovate the existing playground, but provide additional amenities to accommodate a wider demographic of the neighborhood.
Katz thanked Crowley, noting that she has gone to many ribbon cuttings and ground breakings in her district, and said it was a true tribute to the Councilwoman’s leadership.
“Time and time again we are opening up parks which, let’s face it, affect everyone’s quality of life,” she said. “Queens is about family and about making sure that as we grow we also have the infrastructure for our families to grow right beside it. So that there are places and open spaces for our families, so that the schools have support systems in our parks, so that folks have places to go and our seniors have places to sit. As we grow, parks are growing with us side by side.”
Renovations will include additional seating, a picnic area, resurfacing of paving areas, new site amenities and two new playgrounds for youth ages 5 to 12, Lewandowski said.
This $2.4 million phase will also increase site visibility and park security by adding low planting and pedestrian lights.
Crowley allocated $1.6 million for the project, while $500,000 came from Borough President Melinda Katz and $300,000 from the mayor.
This comes after December’s ribbon-cutting for the Council-funded $1 million toddler playground, the first phase of the Evergreen Park renovation project. Katz and Crowley thanked members of the Liberty Park Homeowners Association, Community Board 5 and PS 68 staff, who were all in attendance.
“Melinda knows, if it’s good for our families, it’s good for Queens,” Crowley said. “We have one of the richest boroughs when it comes to green spaces and it’s so important to have a partner like Melinda and to continue investing in our parks. We are embarking on the second phase of a project that when it’s all completed will be well over a $5 million investment. This is going to be a better park because of this investment.”
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart
