Little Claremont Playground

NYC PARKS BREAKS GROUND ON $3.3 MILLION RENOVATION OF LITTLE CLAREMONT PARK

Bronx park to receive complete transformation under Community Parks Initiative

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, on Tuesday joined Council Member Vanessa Gibson and students and teachers from P.S. 42 to break ground on a total reconstruction of Little Claremont Park under the Community Parks Initiative (CPI). This project will include the instillation of new play equipment for ages five to twelve, a spray shower, community garden, synthetic turf field, and an outdoor classroom and performance area.

Funding for this project was provided by the Mayor’s office in the amount of $3.3 million. The project is anticipated to be completed by Spring 2018.

“Today is the start of a huge transformation for Little Claremont Park,” said Commissioner Silver. “As of next spring, the students of P.S. 42 and all Claremont families will have a brand new park. Thanks to Mayor Bill de Blasio, we are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into parks like this—parks in low-income areas that have been overlooked for decades.”

“Today’s groundbreaking on Little Claremont Park in our community in an investment that will ensure our children and families have access to open space, a new turf field, outdoor classroom space, a spray shower and other recreational opportunities,” said Council Member Gibson. “I am thankful for the commitment of Mayor Bill de Blasio through the Community Parks Initiative to renovate parks in our community which serve to provide enrichment and outdoor fun for our children. My gratitude to Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, Bronx Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriquez-Rosa, Parks staff, Park Advocates and the PS 42 community for their commitment to parks and recognizing that investing in open space makes a difference in our communities.”

"It is an exciting day for the students of P.S. 42 and the families and residents of Claremont as our City begins to renovate Little Claremont Park," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. "I applaud the efforts of Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Parks for moving forward with this project as it will benefit hundreds of children in this neighborhood and will provide them with an improved space to enjoy."

CPI was initially launched in 2014, and is funded through 2019 with $318 million in capital dollars funding renovations of more than 60 community parks that have not undergone significant improvements in decades. All of the parks and playgrounds that will receive improvements are in dense, fast-growing neighborhoods with an above-average percentage of residents living below the poverty level.

Claremont Community Park, bounded by Claremont Parkway between Park and Washington Avenues, has been under the wing of P.S. 42 since 1992. The school, which has been instrumental in the creation of this green space, was established in 1906. This property became a GreenThumb Garden in May 1994. GreenThumb is a Parks initiative that facilitates the transformation of vacant city lots into community gardens. In 1998, Mayor Giuliani’s office approved the permanent jurisdiction and management of this garden by Parks. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services then assigned the property to Parks on July 12, 1999.