Bowne Park

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON $1.5 MILLION UPGRADE TO BOWNE PARK PLAYGROUND

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today joined Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Council Member Paul Vallone and Kim Ohanian, Parks Committee Chair of Community Board 7, to break ground on the reconstruction of the playground in Flushing’s Bowne Park.

“To have an outstanding city, you’ve got to start with great public spaces,” said Commissioner Silver. “Bowne Park is an 11-acre oasis in Flushing, where people come to enjoy nature, spend time with their families, and connect with their neighbors. We’re proud to bring new play equipment here that will enhance the park’s natural wonders, and challenge the imaginations of our neighborhood kids.”

"Thanks to capital investment of public dollars, the children and families of Flushing can soon look forward to an upgraded Bowne Park Playground featuring equipment welcoming play, including new swings, an expanded spray shower, and renovated basketball courts,” said Borough President Katz. “Special thanks to NYC Parks and Commissioner Lewandowski for their dedication to Queens' families."

“It was great to stand with our Borough President, the Parks Department and our community as we broke ground and took one step closer towards the bright future for this wonderful park,” stated Council Member Vallone. “Bowne Park has always been a gem in North Flushing and these wonderfully inspired upgrades will be enjoyed by children and their families for years to come. I look forward to working with the community and the Parks Department to ensure this project and its continued development moves swiftly.”

The new play area will feature treehouse-inspired climbing equipment for kids aged 2-5 and 6-12, and an expanded spray shower with a turtle theme to pay homage to some of the parks most popular visitors. Painted games, new swings and a full renovation of the basketball courts will complete the project. New benches will be installed throughout the space to allow park visitors to take a seat and relax. This project was funded with $1 million from the Borough President Katz and $500,000 from Council Member Vallone, for a total of $1.5 million. Construction is expected to be complete in Fall 2017.

Bowne Park is an 11 acre gem in Flushing, Queens. The park features a bocce court, a park house with a community room, and a pond which is home to a family of turtles. The comfort station within the park is also currently being re-constructed under a separate project, and is also expected to reopen in Fall 2017. A new filtration system for the pond is currently in the design phase.