The city completed a $5.2 million transformation at the CC Moore Homestead Playground in Elmhurst.
NYC Parks Acting Commissioner Margaret Nelson joined elected officials and community leaders for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the project that upgraded the park’s amenities featuring an expanded play area, new equipment, swings, a spray shower and a multipurpose open area for recreation.
“Every child deserves a great playground, and every community deserves access to quality open space and thriving parks,” Nelson said. “Thanks to Mayor de Blasio, the borough president’s office and Council Member Daniel Dromm, CC Moore Homestead Playground now provides plenty of recreational opportunities for the children and families of Elmhurst.”
Nelson replaced former Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver earlier this month after he stepped down after seven years at the helm to take a position in the private sector.
The revitalized community space now features amphitheater seating and stairs, new paths, upgraded sports courts and accessible entrances which create a more welcoming entryway into the park.
“This is a great day for our children and families as we cut the ribbon on the first-class playground they deserve,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said. “Fairness and equity demand that all children should have access to the top-quality play spaces they need to thrive, and the recent renovations at Moore Homestead Playground have created such a space right here in Elmhurst.”
Bordered by 82nd Street and Broadway, the property was once home to Reverend John Moore, the town’s first minister during the mid-1650s. The park’s renovation was funded with $4.3 million from the borough president’s office, $672,000 from de Blasio and $300,000 from Dromm.
“CC Moore Homestead Playground is the center of the Elmhurst community and that’s why I, along with the borough President, am so proud to have funded the renovations to this important public space,” Dromm said. “By investing $5.2 million, I am saying that Elmhurst is a thriving community deserving of open space accessible to everyone. Named after the poet who scribed ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas,’ commonly known as ‘‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,’ I have held yearly holiday celebrations in the park. Now, with a new pine tree in the park, our tree lighting ceremony will be even more exciting. This park is beautiful and ready for all to use.”
During his tenure on the City Council starting in 2009, Dromm was able to invest in every park in his district which includes Jackson Heights and Elmhurst.
He said the renovation of CC Moore Homestead Playground turned out “beautifully,” and includes a new pine tree for the annual community tree lighting ceremony.
