Jamaica Playground

NYC PARKS REOPENS JAMAICA PLAYGROUND TO THE COMMUNTY AFTER $4.6 MILLION UPGRADE

Jamaica Playground reconstruction project has completely transformed the children’s play area, sport courts, and seating areas in the park.

Today, NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue joined City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., Assemblywoman Vivian Cooke, representatives from Community Board 12, over 50 students and staff from P.S. 040 Samuel Huntington Elementary School, members of the South Jamaica Houses Tenants Association, and local residents to celebrate the complete transformation of Jamaica Playground in Jamaica, Queens.

“Neighborhood parks like Jamaica Playground are the focal points of fun for countless children, and we could not be more excited to unveil these new amenities,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “For nearly 80 years, Jamaica Playground has served a vital purpose in the community, giving kids increased opportunities for connection, play, and learning, and with these new amenities, we hope this playground will continue to inspire well into the future.”

“Our community playgrounds are important open spaces where residents can exercise, play with their children, and spend time with friends and neighbors,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “The renovated Jamaica Playground features new play areas, amenities, and accessibility improvements that will benefit the families of this community. I’m also proud to have allocated $4.8 million to reconstruct Jamaica Playground’s multi-purpose play area, which will serve children of all ages when completed. I thank my colleagues in government and the Parks Department for their partnership to create a playground that our residents deserve.”

“Every single Queens family deserves high-quality park space in their community, regardless of ZIP code or socioeconomic status. But for far too long, our city has fallen behind when it comes to investing in that kind of open space across Southeast Queens. The $4.6 million new Jamaica Playground and its many state-of-the-art amenities flips that script, however,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Finally, Jamaica families have a park that is worthy of them. It’s why I’m proud to have invested $36 million into our parks during my tenure as Borough President and it’s why I’m proud to continue to partner with the Parks Department to deliver more play spaces like the Jamaica Playground to communities across Queens.”

As a part of the $4.6 million transformation of Jamaica Playground, the children’s play area now includes brand new play equipment for children aged 2-5 and 5-12, and newly installed ground level play panels offer universally accessible sensory experiences for children. The revamped spray shower includes new ground sprays to provide additional recreation space during the cold months when water is not in use.

As a part of the project, the existing full-size basketball court has been relocated and reconstructed with the addition of two new basketball keys to serve as practice courts. A new seating area offers ample benches and game tables for park users, and new trees and plantings have been incorporated throughout the site to offer increased shade. Site access and circulation throughout the playground have also been improved, now featuring universally accessible ramps to provide easy and direct access to the renovated playground.

The $4.6 million Jamaica Playground renovation was made possible with funding from the Office of the Mayor.