Irving Square Park

Parks Celebrates Improvements To Irving Square Park

Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today joined Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, City Council Member Erik Martin Dilan, District Manager of Community Board 4 Nadine Whitted, and children from P.S. 151 and the Audrey Johnson Day Care Center to cut the ribbon on a new playground and to announce plans for a public plaza and garden area at Irving Square Park in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

"This project is transforming Irving Square Park into a beautiful and safe public space for the residents of Bushwick," said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "The new playground is open just in time for the warm weather. Children will delight in its innovative play equipment, swings, and a spray shower to cool off on hot summer days. We look forward to beginning the project's second phase with a public gathering space, performance area, and beautiful gardens. I am grateful to Council Member Dilan, Mayor Bloomberg, and Borough President Markowitz for funding this restoration."

The renovation of Irving Square Park is being accomplished in two phases. The recently completed first phase redesigned the playground with new play equipment, toddler swings and a spray shower. It also included new historic gates and a re-graded central lawn. This phase cost nearly $1.6 million, with $800,000 from Council Member Dilan, $500,000 from Mayor Bloomberg and $250,000 from Borough President Markowitz.

The second phase will include a plaza area with benches, drinking fountains, game tables, and a small performance space. New lawns and gardens will be added with pear trees, evergreen trees, roses, daffodils, and tulips. Work will begin at the end of this summer, with funding of over $1.2 million from Council Member Dilan.

Irving Square Park was dedicated in 1896 for Washington Irving (1783 – 1859), a short story writer, essayist, poet, travel writer, biographer, historian, and columnist who created some of the most popular writings in American literature. Among his most popular stories are "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle."