Gravesend Park

Gravesend Park Reopens for Play, Better Than Ever!

Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe today joined City Council Member Simcha Felder, Community Board 12 District Manager Wolf Sender, 66th Precinct Inspector Peter DeBlasio, and students from P.S. 48 and Yeshiva Stolin to cut the ribbon on renovations at Gravesend Park on 18th Avenue and 56th Street in Brooklyn and officially open the park to the community.

“New York City's children deserve the best recreation facilities to develop their bodies and minds. Thanks to the generous funding support of Councilman Simcha Felder and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, that is exactly what Gravesend Park now has,” said Commissioner Benepe. “Youngsters can delight in the new playground with adventure play equipment, a play mountain, swings and a spray shower. Parkland is at a premium in Borough Park and we are dedicated to restoring our open space facilities throughout the community.”

“This new park is beautiful. Everyone should come out and take advantage of this great renovation,” said Councilman Felder. “Open just in time for the community to take advantage of the nice weather, Gravesend Park will be a magnificent destination for both children and seniors.

The renovation is one of the best things I've done as a Council Member and will be enjoyed for years.”

Thanks to an allocation of over $3 million from Council Member Felder and Mayor Bloomberg, Parks redesigned Gravesend Park to best meet the recreational needs of toddlers and young children. Its reconstruction includes a new playground with adventure play equipment, a play mountain, swings and a spray shower. It also features cafe tables and benches for senior citizens, and a wide array of plants and shrubs. An additional $2 million from Mayor Bloomberg was allocated to renovate the park’s comfort station.

The park's ballfields were also restored in-house by the borough's maintenance and operations crews. They sifted through 1,800 cubic yards of soil to remove debris, added another 450 yards of topsoil, brought in 60 cubic yards of clay for the infields, and seeded, watered and groomed the fields for their opening this summer.

This parcel of land was first acquired in 1896 for construction of a disciplinary training school. The school closed in 1916 and Parks acquired the property in 1917. Although the community of Gravesend is further south of the park, McDonald Avenue, which lies a few blocks to the east, used to be known as Gravesend Avenue.