A northeast Queens lawmaker recently secured $4.5 million for renovations to College Point Fields.
Councilman Paul Vallone made the announcement for the upcoming capital project along with Queens Parks Commissioner Michael Dockett and local civic leaders. Funding will go toward reconstructing a portion of College Point Fields baseball diamond into a grass soccer field, reconstructing sidewalks, maintaining and pruning trees and improving area drainage.
According to Vallone’s office, there has been a high demand for soccer fields in District 19 and in the city as a whole in recent years. The new soccer field near Ulmer Street and 26th Avenue in College Point seeks to satisfy the growing demand from soccer clubs around Queens, according to Vallone.
“I am grateful to the speaker and the borough president for their generous investments in College Point,” Vallone said. “This new field will alleviate the current long waits for soccer field permits in our district, and all investments made during my term have transformed the park for decades to come. ”
Over the past few years, Vallone and other elected officials have directed funds toward making College Point Fields a premier sports center for the community and borough at large.
The councilman and Mayor Bill de Blasio allocated over $7 million for a state-of-the-art football field, which is slated to be completed later this year. Vallone also worked with the borough president’s office to secure $2.8 million to construct sports and security lighting for College Point Field.
“I want to thank Council member Vallone for his strong advocacy and partnership on securing $4.5 million in this fiscal year to renovate the College Point Fields. As we emerge from the pandemic, the Council will continue supporting our parks so they can be a place of healing and sanctuary for all New Yorkers,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
The Coastal Preservation Network, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring and protecting the coastal environment and waterfront parks in northeast Queens, commended Vallone and the Parks Department for investing in College Point’s parks.
“These football and soccer fields will be a wonderful addition to the community at a time when there’s a huge and growing demand for open space,” said CPN President Kat Cervino. “The fields at this site were terrible dustbowls — little more than dirt — back in the ’70s. It is fantastic to see the dramatic improvements that continue to take place!”
