Thomas P. Noonan Park (QueensPost)
Aug. 20, 2018 By Christian Murray
An unkempt corner of Thomas P. Noonan Park is about to undergo a major overhaul.
Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer has secured $2.5 million of city funds to revamp the Greenpoint Avenue/42nd Street section of the park, an area that is gritty and where the homeless often congregate.
Van Bramer said that he intends to expand the children’s playground into this section of the park and reduce the number of benches used by adults.
“I would like to see the play area extended with more play equipment, as well as see additional greenery,” Van Bramer said. “I want the entire park to be something the community is proud of.”
Phase I
The revamp will represent phase three of the overhaul of the park.
In 2015, the playground was expanded and new climbing areas, swings, safety surfaces and shrubbery were added. That upgrade, Van Bramer said, also included a new sprinkler as well as a flagpole in recognition of Lance Corporal Thomas P. Noonan Jr., who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after the Vietnam War.
In 2016, the basketball courts and handball courts were resurfaced with new asphalt.
Upon the completion of Phase 3, the entire park–with the exception of the bathrooms– will have been redone in recent years. Van Bramer said that he intends to get funding to renovate the bathrooms.
Van Bramer said that his office is looking for the public’s feedback in coming up with the design for phase three. He said that he will be taking suggestions via social media and there will be a suggestion box in the Sunnyside Library.
A timeline for the project has yet to be established.
Van Bramer said that the park is very important to the Sunnyside community. “Shortly after doing Phase 1, I saw the amount of children in the park and it made me feel good and reinforced my commitment to it.”
Thomas P. Noonan Park (QueensPost)
