Southeast Queens community members had their say on the reconstruction project of Detective Keith L. Williams Park in Jamaica. Councilman I. Daneek Miller worked with his colleagues in government to secure millions in funding for the total renovation of the track, field, tennis, and basketball courts.
Formerly known as Liberty Park, the site was renamed after Detective Keith L. Williams, a lifelong Jamaica resident and NYPD police officer who was killed in the line of duty in 1989. Miller hosted a street co-naming ceremony in his honor at the park, co-naming the corner of 172nd Street and Liberty Avenue as Detective Keith L. Williams Way.
Last September, Miller joined Parks Committee Chair Peter Koo to tour the park and call attention to the “dire need for reinvestment” for the safety of children and families. The public meeting, held virtually, was attended by local community members, including principals and local sports teams.
Community members noted the need for a designated picnic area among other stylistic changes to the proposed playground design. NYC Parks staff collected all community responses, and have invited the community to provide additional feedback through April 9.
“Public engagement is so crucially important, and I am grateful for the robust feedback and support that the community provided during this public meeting for Detective Keith L. Williams Park,” Miller said. “This local gem is in serious need of renovation, and I’m grateful to have secured these funds with my colleagues. Only through public discourse does this work get done, and we are looking forward to working with Parks to make sure this redevelopment meets the needs and values of the local community.”
Williams attended Jamaica High School, where he played varsity basketball for four years. He started the Keith Roundball Classics, a basketball tournament in Liberty Park. He also sponsored an after-school program at P.S. 116. He received two Excellent Police Duty citations and was honored posthumously with the Medal of Honor in 1990. Williams was killed on Nov. 13, 1989, while transporting a prisoner from court to Rikers Island.
