Several local elected officials were on hand to celebrate the groundbreaking of Bayside High School’s new athletic field with students, teachers and staff members of the school on Wednesday, April 8.
The new state-of-the-art athletic field at the school, located at 32-24 Corporal Kennedy St. in Bayside, is representative of a significant investment made into the educational and athletic infrastructure of Queens. The field will be a playing space for thousands of student-athletes in the coming years.
Among the elected leaders in attendance for the groundbreaking were Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, District 28 Council Member and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and District 19 Council Member Vickie Paladino. Other notable attendees included Bayside High School Principal Tracy Martinez, New York City Department of Education Chief School Operations Officer Kevin Moran and Public Schools Atheltic League (PSAL) Representative Daniel Harris. They all addressed the audience, which included student-athletes and community members, during this ceremony.
“From football to soccer, to softball, to baseball to track, this is a school that has always produced some of the greatest athletes in this borough and in the city. But despite that, we know that there has been a historic disinvestment, and we know how much further our children can go when they have the necessary resources to enhance their educational experience,” Richards said. “I didn’t hesitate to put $1 million into this project for that reason.”
Richards credited Paladino for approaching him approximately two years prior with the idea of funding the transformation of Bayside High School’s athletic field.
“Today is a day that fills me with pride, not just as a Council Member, but as someone who believes in the power of our students and the hope that they provide for the future,” Paladino said. “We’re standing here to celebrate a major investment in the future of our young people: the transformation of the athletic field. This isn’t just about turf and track. It’s about giving our students safe, strong, inspiring spaces to grow, not just as athletes, but as leaders and teammates.”
Moran went over some of the features that the new athletic field will have. This included a strong drainage system, shock padding, 200,000 pounds of fresh beach sand to anchor the turf in place and a rubber environmentally friendly infill. There is optimism that the project can be completed as early as this fall. The turf will also reflect the colors of the school, with the track being royal blue and orange accents featured as well.
Principal Martinez expressed her gratitude to several elected officials for ensuring funding was provided for this project. She also thanked State Senator John Liu and Assemblymember Edward Braunstein for playing big parts in ensuring the project was able to advance.
“Bayside High School extends its deepest gratitude to Council Member Vickie Paladino, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Speaker Adrienne Adams and Mayor [Eric] Adams for their vital funding that will bring our new athletic field to life,” Principal Martinez said. “Their support reflects a true investment in our community’s future and the well-being of our residents, while State Senator John Liu’s steadfast advocacy and Assemblymember Edward Braunstein’s dedicated partnership have been crucial in advancing this transformative project. This groundbreaking marks a pivotal moment for Bayside’s student-athletes, who will soon train on state-of-the-art fields designed to enhance performance, ensure safety and strengthen our community bonds.”
For Speaker Adams, this groundbreaking hit close to home. She is a Bayside High School alumni from the Class of 1978. Additionally, several members of her family graduated from the school, including her sister, sister-in-law and nephew.
“My education and experiences at Bayside High School helped to shape the person that I am today, especially at a time when I was finding my place in the world,” Adams said. “My teachers and my classmates invested in my growth, and that’s what we must continue to do for our scholars today. With the renovation of the athletic track and field made possible by the $500,000 in capital investments of the City Council, we’re delivering on the promise of building the infrastructure that reflects the brilliance and greatness of our students. When we invest in our school campuses, we are also investing in our students. Our student-athletes deserve these investments to soar higher than ever to their full potential in Queens.”
Another notable Bayside High School alumni in attendance for this groundbreaking was former NFL player Bobby Hammond, who played for the school’s football team.
“This is a great moment, because the alumni got together to help support this cause,” Hammond said. “This was something that [former Bayside High School Football Coach] Neil Nelson was instrumental in. He gave a lot of us an opportunity to be a student-athlete, to be a better citizen and to go on and be successful in our chosen career. And so for me, this is a full circle situation, to come back here and to see this field be dedicated for renovations, and at some point, be named after Neil Nelson. We’re really excited about that. I’m really happy to be a part of that process.”
