Press Releases

NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue joined Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, Council Member Kamillah Hanks, and Council Member Joseph Borelli today to celebrate two capital projects to improve amenities in Staten Island parks.

At a ribbon cutting ceremony at Lopez Playground, Parks unveiled a new public restroom building. The unique structure was designed as part of a pilot program to use modular construction to build park restrooms that are fully accessible and vandal resistant. While the design referenced Parks’ standard public restroom buildings, the modular design was sized to allow for transportation in three pieces from factory to the park for onsite assembly. The landscape design surrounding the building directly connects it with the recently reconstructed Lopez Playground. The $3.86 million project was funded by the Mayor’s Office.

Later at Freshkills Park, Parks also broke ground on the first public restroom building at Owl Hollow Fields. Funded by $3.86 million from the Mayor’s Office, the project will provide restroom facilities, a drinking fountain and bottle fillers for the public along with maintenance and operations space. The building will be constructed to meet the latest energy efficiency standards and include a green roof. Construction is anticipated to be completed in Spring 2025.

Opened in 2013, Owl Hollow is a 20-acre site featuring four synthetic turf soccer fields, a loop pedestrian path encircling the fields, a parking lot, and landscaped lawn areas.

“Families enjoying Lopez Playground now have access to public restroom facilities for the first time, with an innovative modular building that highlights the latest in prefabricated construction. At Owl Hollow Fields, we’ve broken ground on a public restroom building to improve the experience for users of the popular soccer fields at Freshkills Park, a transformative greenspace for the borough,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “We’re committed to continually improving our park amenities to better serve residents and visitors for years to come.”

"We are pleased with the addition of both of these restrooms at two of the most used parks on Staten Island. It is both a matter of convenience and common sense. We will continue to make the parks experience here on Staten Island one of joy and pleasure,” said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. “We would like to thank Mayor Adams, Commissioner Sue Donoghue, and Borough Parks Commissioner Lynda Ricciardone for their commitment to enhancing and improving the Borough of Parks."

“Today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony is not just an unveiling of new restrooms, it’s a celebration of forward thinking and innovation,” said Council Member Kamillah Hanks. “The modular design of this public restroom at Lopez Playground is a testament to our commitment to smart, sustainable solutions on Staten Island. This approach not only makes our parks more accessible and enjoyable but also sets a new standard for cost-efficiency when constructing new public amenities.”

“If there is one good thing Bill de Blasio did as Mayor, it was agreeing to my ask for more bathrooms in parks,” said Council Member Joseph Borelli. “Owl Hollow is one of the most utilized fields on the South Shore with countless families visiting daily. I am sure many other families will be just as excited as the Borellis to have the new facilities.”