The Juniper Valley Park “blacktop,” one of Middle Village‘s most highly trafficked parks, is finally going to be remodeled after a year long process of review and community input. NYC Parks visited Community Board 5’s parks committee several times and drew up three separate plans after receiving input from both the community and former Council Member Robert Holden, who secured the $5.25 million in funding in the City Council.
On Feb. 4, NYC Parks met with the CB5 committee at St. Margaret’s Parish in Middle Village to debut the final design, and a representative has confirmed that it is the final iteration of the are referred to as the blacktop, which has a concrete softball field, basketball and tennis courts as well as a public bathroom.
“NYC Parks is deeply appreciative of public input, and as part of our capital process, the latest design is going through review by external stakeholders for comment. This marks the final redesign for this capital project,” said an NYC Parks spokesperson.
The process of a park or park subsection redesign has four steps: Initiation, Community Input, Design and Presentation, and Approval. Initiation of the project began in October of 2024 with a projected design completion by January 2026. NYC Parks will now begin the process of internal approval and review, extending the timeline, though a representative has yet to confirm by how long. The spokesperson noted the reviewal process and meetings with local politicians is to “make sure all expectations are met.”
According to a representative of Councilmember Phil Wong’s office, the primary concern with the latest design is ensuring that the several acre space can still be used by local community group events, which include several concerts and holiday festivals throughout the year. Currently, the Juniper Park Civic Association (JPCA) holds concerts throughout the summer on the blacktop. The addition of a rain garden which extends into the blacktop was a concern for Councilmember Phil Wong, potentially disrupting the established community events.
“The neighborhood loves the concerts and other community events held in this area. It’s the only large paved area in the park where kids can bike and schools and teams can utilize. The design eliminates this event and open space. Need more parks enforcement, not this,” wrote one user on the Middle Village Residents’ Association Facebook page.
To assist with water drainage of the paved area, the redesign includes updating the underground plumbing and the additional green space/rain garden. While a majority of Juniper Valley Park is green space, locals have reported the the tennis courts within the area of the redesign have been prone to flooding.
“After years of advocacy and coordination, we’re excited to see the multipurpose play area finally moving toward fruition. This long-overdue investment is an important part of the park, and we’re looking forward to seeing shovels in the ground and real progress take shape for the community,” Wong said.
