Lyons Square Playground

NYC Parks Completes $7.8 Million Renovation of Lyons Square Playground

Lyons Square Playground opened as part of Commissioner Silver’s Ribbon-Cutting Relay – five Community Parks Initiative sites opened in a single day

$24 million in total renovations opened across city

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, yesterday joined descendants of the Lyons family, Managing Director of the Office of Ecosystem Services, Green Infrastructure and Research for NYC DEP John McLaughlin, Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Community Board 2 Chair Bobby Crespo, Council Member Barry Grodenchik and Executive Director of the City Parks Foundation Heather Lubov to open Lyons Square Playground. The playground, part of NYC Park’s $318-million Community Parks Initiative (CPI), was opened as part of Commissioner Silver’s Ribbon-Cutting Relay, in which he opened five renovated CPI sites across the city in a single day.

“The Community Parks Initiative is about creating a fairer and more accessible park system for ALL New Yorkers – and there’s no better expression of that than opening fully renovated parks across the city in a single day,” said Commissioner Silver. “Lyons Square has long been neglected and we are so thrilled to finally give the Longwood community and students of Bronx Elementary School 75 the beautiful park they deserve.”

“The re-opening of Lyons Square Park is a testament of our commitment to creating access to beautiful parks and green spaces for our community to enjoy for years to come,” said Council Member Rafael Salamanca. “I am proud to join NYC Park’s Commissioner Mitchell Silver as we celebrate the first day of spring and showcase the $7.8 Million Dollar investment made right here in the South Bronx.”

“Not too long ago, I proudly joined NYC Parks, P.S.75 students and faculty, as well as community activists, during the ground breaking ceremony at Lyons Square Playground in my district,” said Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo. “Today, I am thrilled to see the process come full circle. I commend NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, and all key team members, for consistently showing strong desire and determination towards making all play spaces accessible and appealing to Bronxites and all New Yorkers.”

This project has fully reconstructed the playground and multi-use areas at Lyons Square, which now include ADA accessible play equipment, a spray shower, basketball courts, park lighting, a picnic area, ping pong tables, and fitness equipment. A new comfort station is also being constructed and will be open to the public in July, 2018.
The renovation includes $1.3 million in new Green Infrastructure elements that capture storm water, which were developed and funded through a partnership with DEP. The entrances and edges of the park have also been enhanced with $300,000 as part of Parks Without Borders initiative.

On Ribbon-Cutting Relay Day, NYC Parks cut the ribbon on a CPI park in every borough. Starting at Arrochar Playground in Staten Island, Commissioner Silver made his way to Grassmere Playground in Far Rockaway, Queens; then to Hilltop Playground (formerly Saratoga Ballfields) in Flatbush, Brooklyn; up to Lyons Square Playground in the South Bronx; and finally to Martin Luther King, Jr. Playground.

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.