Sean's Place

SEAN’S PLACE RE-OPENS AFTER MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN UPGRADES

Queens Borough Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski today joined Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and Council Member Costa Constantinides to cut the ribbon on more than $1 million in improvements to Sean’s Place in Astoria.

“Parks’ design team worked diligently to create a green space at Sean’s Place that families, visitors and the surrounding community can all enjoy,” said Commissioner Lewandowski. “Today we’re celebrating a vibrant new playground, with game tables, an updated spray shower, benches for spectators, and a reconstructed basketball court.”

“Sean’s Place is a recreational resource that helps our children be physically active while also reminding us about the ultimate sacrifice made by Police Officer Sean McDonald, a brave public servant who was taken from us much too soon,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. “With the new upgrades, it will now be available as a first-class recreational space for the growing families of Astoria.”

Council Member Costa Constantinides said, "Our playgrounds are vital to our neighborhoods. They serve as open spaces for our families to play and experience nature. There's no better place where this is exemplified than at Sean's Place, which was turned into a playground following the community rallying for a park in their neighborhood. I'm proud to help re-open Sean's Place Playground with new play equipment for children of all ages and abilities, plantings, basketball court, and benches. We look forward to seeing children enjoy the new upgrades for many years to come. Thank you to the Borough President's office and Parks Department for their partnership in bringing this improvement to fruition."

The scope of renovations included new play equipment, decorative spray shower elements with colored concrete pavement, fences, benches and plantings. New bluestone pavement was installed in the park as well as a surrounding sidewalk, and new asphalt was laid in the basketball court. The project will also install a new ADA compliant ramp by the swings.

Construction was funded with $750,000 from the Borough President and an additional $318,000 in Mayoral funding. Work began in September 2016 and was complete within a year. Prior to this project, the park had not been renovated since 1998.

Sean’s Place is named for Sean McDonald (1968-1994), a rookie police officer killed in the line of duty at 26 years of age. McDonald was born in Ireland and moved as a child to Astoria, Queens, where he later graduated from Most Precious Blood Catholic School. The park was dedicated to the memory of Officer McDonald on June 3, 1995.