Juniper Valley Park

NEW SPRAY SHOWER ZONE COMING TO JUNIPER VALLEY PARK

NYC Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski yesterday joined Borough President Melinda Katz, and Council Member Robert Holden to celebrate the start of construction on a new spray shower zone and accessibility improvements in Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, Queens. This $2 million project, funded entirely by the Borough President, will upgrade the water play area in Juniper Valley Park, improve accessibility to the site, and improve drainage. Construction began in October 2018 and is expected to be complete by fall 2019.

“Temperatures might be in the 30’s today, but that won’t stop us from celebrating a brand new spray shower coming to Juniper Valley Park!” said Commissioner Lewandowski. “Once complete, this project will bring an interactive spray shower zone that kids of all ages can enjoy. The entry to the spray shower zone will also be opened up so that it’s accessible for people in wheelchairs, or parents bringing their little ones in strollers.”

"Juniper Valley Park is a multi-generational park and a beloved part of the neighborhood, especially its shuffleboard and bocce courts, tracks, ballfields and playground,” said Borough President Melinda Katz. “The investment of public funds to improve the accessibility and play area of Juniper Valley Park will be enjoyed by the growing families of Middle Village. Queens is grateful to NYC Parks for bringing this important capital project to reality."

“Juniper Valley Park is and has been for many years the crown jewel park of the district,” said Council Member Robert Holden. “This $2 million investment fixes one of the nagging problems we’ve had at the park for decades. The spray shower will be a beautiful addition to a great park.”

This project will upgrade the spray shower area and provide interactive water play and a multi-use space year round. The project will create multiple spray zones, with features for kids of all ages, and is complemented by colored concrete that delineates the age range zones. The design includes perimeter benches for parents and caregivers to watch their kids at play. This project will also make the site more accessible by making both entrances at grade, with openings that are wide enough for wheelchairs or strollers to pass through. Lastly, this project will reconstruct the spray shower drainage system to ensure that there is no standing water.

One of Queens’s most beloved parks, Juniper Valley Park is an integral part of its Middle Village neighborhood. Locals come to spend time with old friends and neighbors while groups gather to take full advantage of the tennis, handball, and basketball courts. A shuffleboard court is much beloved by the area's older members, and the bocce courts are always busy, a legacy of the neighborhood's active Italian community.

In addition to the spray shower project, NYC Parks is currently in the procurement phase on a project to reconstruct the running track in Juniper Valley Park. That project is funded with $4.6 million from the City Council, and is expected to be complete in summer 2020.