The cold couldn’t stop the children from celebrating as the NYC Parks Department officially unveiled the newest expansion at Glendale’s Evergreen Park on Dec. 19.
The park, which is bordered by St. Felix Avenue and 60th Place near P.S. 68, received a $1 million upgrade to the children’s play area, transforming it into a beautiful garden-themed playground.
“Even on a cold day, the new garden-themed playground in Evergreen Park can make it feel like springtime,” said Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski. “We’re thrilled to have completed this great playground project, and look forward to the next phase of renovations.”
Lewandowski was joined by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, and members of Community Board 5.
NYC Parks listened to the community’s request and got rid of the underused bocce ball court and shuffleboard court to make room for the reconstructed and expanded playground area.
This new playground gives toddlers and young children an area to play that can help grow their imagination with features such as a brand-new spray shower designed with green misting leaves, directional jets and bubblers, all contained in a field of leaves and vines.
All of the new playground equipment is painted green to tie in with the playground’s garden theme.
Crowley helped fund this $1 million project, which saw construction begin in early April 2015, with the park officially opening to the public this past summer.
A second round of renovations to Evergreen Park is currently in the design phase and will focus on replacing the existing play areas west of the park’s comfort station with expanded playground equipment for older kids to enjoy.
There will also be a new seating area off of St. Felix Avenue which will provide a place for visitors to relax and enjoy the park, once the weather warms up.
The design for Phase 2 was recently approved by CB 5 and is expected to be completed late summer 2017, and construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2018, according to the NYC Parks Department
Both phases of the Evergreen Park reconstruction cost $3.4 million, with allocations coming from Crowley, Katz and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
