Hinton Park

HINTON PARK RE-OPENS FOUR MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AFTER RECEIVING $2 MILLION UPGRADE

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today joined Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, Senator Jose Peralta, Assemblyman Jeffrion L. Aubry, and District Manager of Community Board 3 Giovanna Reid to cut the ribbon on $2 million in improvements to Hinton Park in Corona. The project was completed four months ahead of the estimated schedule and includes a new volleyball court, adult fitness equipment and landscaping enhancements.

“NYC Parks is extremely proud to open Hinton Park significantly earlier than expected, so that members of this community can enjoy the space during the last few weeks of summer,” said Commissioner Silver. “New features include a volleyball court, which will surely be used by the many Ecua-volley players in the area, and four new hills which have been created to provide views of the entire landscape. We are grateful to Council Member Ferreras-Copeland for supporting this great community park.”

“I am so pleased that the improvements to Hinton Park are complete and open to the public,” said Council Member Ferreras-Copeland. “These changes will encourage more to use what is already a popular park, specifically encouraging our community to do physical exercise and remain healthy. They are the result of a community visioning process, and I am proud to have invested close to $2 million in capital funding to make them a reality. I thank the Department of Parks for their work and look forward to volleyball games, early morning workouts, and families enjoying the new and improved green space.”

“This is great news for Corona. It is great for our community that the new and renovated Hinton Park opened ahead of schedule,” said Senator Peralta. “Kids and neighbors will now, before summer ends, be able to enjoy the new and upgraded installations in a public space. I want to thank Councilmember Julissa Ferreras-Copeland and the Parks Department for their efforts to upgrade a very busy park.”

Funded entirely by Council Member Ferreras-Copeland, the Hinton Park project focused primarily on the southern section of the park, where a volleyball court, adult fitness equipment, game tables, and drinking fountains were installed. The remaining portion of the southern area contains a grassy lawn separated by curvilinear paths lined with light poles and benches, to match the character of the walkways in the northern portion of the park. New seating areas have been placed along existing and proposed paths, and take advantage of the shade from the large trees to the south and the expansive views to the north.

Four hills have been created to enhance the visual interest of this formerly flat site. The intent is to provide the park with a greater sense of enclosure, definition and separation from some of the surrounding streets. Grass swales and rain gardens are located adjacent to these small hills to capture and absorb the storm water. Retention structures, installed under the volleyball court and the lawn east of the fitness area, will hold runoff until it can percolation into the soil.

A passive seating area on the park’s northern end was also upgraded, with more plantings and decorative World’s Fair benches. Formal shrub beds, surrounded by two and one-half foot steel fencing, were placed behind some of the benches in the central seating area to screen views of the street and the multi-use field. Shade and flowering trees were planted along the paths and around the circular seating area. The open lawn area along 113th Street has been regraded to divert storm runoff into a rain garden. Construction began in November 2015.

Following the speaking program, the Council Member hosted a free ‘Back to School’ celebration for the community, including school supply giveaways, as well as free bike helmets and fittings. The event was presented by Council Member Ferreras-Copeland, and sponsored by sponsored by HealthFirst, Charter Communications and the NYC Department of Transportation.

This park honors Reverend George Warren Hinton (1880-1969), a dedicated pastor and active community member. Born in North Carolina, Hinton moved to Queens as a young man. There he served for 41 years as the reverend of the Corona Congregational Church. Much of his spare time was devoted to community service, particularly in the cause of health and social services.