Van Cortlandt Park

NYC PARKS BREAKS GROUND ON BRAND NEW PLAYGROUND IN VAN CORTLANDT PARK

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today joined Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council Member Andrew Cohen, Community Board 8 Chair Rosemary Ginty, Interim Executive Director for the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance Julie Micou Cerf, and local community members to break ground on a brand new playground in the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park.

“Van Cortlandt Park is a vital community greenspace, and I’m excited to break ground on its newest playground,” said Commissioner Silver. “As one of the few sections of the park without a playground, this new recreation space in the park’s northwest corner will add a much needed play area for the children of the community.”

“I am thrilled to break ground today on this new $2.7 million playground here in Van Cortlandt Park,” said NYC Council Member Andrew Cohen. “This park is truly one of the great treasures of our City with something for New Yorkers of all ages. This is a brand new playground in an area of this massive park that does not currently have many spaces for young children to use. Thank you NYC Parks, Mayor de Blasio, and to the State of New York for working with Council to get this project funded and underway.”

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “One of the most incredible things about living in the Northwest Bronx is our parks. I am incredibly proud that we will be getting a new playground in Van Cortlandt Park in a section of the park that lacked one, which will assuredly serve hundreds of families every day. I am also excited about the eco-friendly features with this park, as we look to combat climate change in every aspect of our society. This is yet another example of a productive partnership between the city and state to get things done for the Bronx. Thank you to Council Member Andrew Cohen and my colleagues in government as well as the Parks Department for their help getting this project started, and I look forward to its completion.”

The brand new playground, in the northwest section of the park between Mosholu Ave. and Broadway, will feature four major zones- a main play area, play mounds with a net climber, a water play zone, and a swing area. The design for the new playground also includes two 5’ high slides; a new play area with safety surfacing; an open lawn area; and eco-friendly features including sustainable materials and LED lights.

This $2.7 million project was funded by $1 million from Mayor Bill de Blasio, $1.2 million from City Council Member Andrew Cohen, and $500,000 provided through the Dormitory Authority State of New York (DASNY) program.

Van Cortlandt Park is the third largest park in New York City. It boasts more than a thousand acres atop the ridges and valleys of the northwest Bronx. The park also features playing fields and playgrounds scattered about the park's edges, surrounding a richly forested heartland fed by Tibbets Brook. The park is home to the country's first public golf course, the oldest house in the Bronx, and the borough's largest freshwater lake.