Benson Playground

NYC PARKS CUTS THE RIBBON ON $1.5 MILLION RENOVATION TO BENSON PLAYGROUND IN BROOKLYN

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today joined City Council Member Vincent Gentile, administrators and students from P.S. 200, and local community members to cut the ribbon on a newly renovated portion of Benson Playground. Thanks to $1.5 million in funding from Council Member Gentile, the playground design was the result of extensive community input from local residents and nearby schools.

“Benson Playground is beloved by so many young children in the neighborhood, and especially by the children of PS 200,” said Commissioner Silver. “We finished the renovation three months ahead schedule. Now the children can enjoy it this summer and for years to come. Thanks to Councilman Gentile for investing in this truly special playground.”

“I am overjoyed to see the new renovations to the basketball courts at Benson Playground, and to see the smiles on the faces of all of the children that will enjoy these courts for years and years to come,” said Council Member Gentile. “A very special thank you to Parks Commissioner Silver, Borough Parks Commissioner Maher, Principal of PS 200, The Benson School, Javier Muniz, the school staff, Parent Coordinator, PTA, and everyone else who was involved in making this outstanding project possible.”

The multi-purpose asphalt recreation area has been reconstructed with a brand new color seal coat for field and track sports. The full basketball court was improved with new pavement, color seal coat and lines, and backboards with hoops and nets.

The students at P.S. 200 will benefit from a new green space with planters and trees adjacent to the school and new plantings surrounding the site. New concrete pavement for the handball courts, drinking fountain, and new color seal coat for street games round out the project.

Benson Playground honors Egbert Benson (1746-1833), an attorney and statesman who contributed his name to the neighborhood of Bensonhurst. Benson was New York State’s first post-independence Attorney General in 1777. The playground adjoins the Benson Elementary School (P.S. 200) on Benson Avenue and originally opened in 1956. It was last renovated in 2001.