Mapes Park

21st CENTURY PARK SYSTEM: NYC PARKS CUTS THE RIBBON ON $12.5 MILLION RENOVATION OF MAPES BALLFIELD — A COMMUNITY PARKS INITIATIVE SITE

Mapes Ballfield is one of more than 800 capital projects completed during Silver tenure—building a more equitable park system for all New Yorkers

On Saturday, NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, joined Deputy Bronx Borough President Marricka Scott-McFadden, Congressman Ritchie Torres, City Council Member Oswald Feliz, Community Board 6 District Manager John Sanchez, The Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center Board President Ana Jacobo, family members of the late Heidi Hynes and Astin Jacobo, and community members to officially cut the ribbon on the Mapes Ballfield renovation project, completed through the Community Parks Initiative (CPI) — the City’s first-ever parks equity initiative.

The $12.5 million project, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio, is one of more than 800 completed under Commissioner Silver’s leadership, advancing the City’s mission to build a more equitable 21st century park system.

“Green spaces are essential, and I’m thrilled we could give Mapes Ballfield a much needed upgrade,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Thank you to NYC Parks for your hard work. My message to all Bronx families: have fun, be safe, and play ball!”

"I am so proud of the work we have accomplished through the Community Parks Initiative, and this renovation at Mapes Ballfield is the latest example of our work to revitalize greenspaces in traditionally underserved communities," said Parks Commissioner Silver. "I would like to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio for his commitment to building equity through this initiative.This $12.5 million renovation at Mapes Ballfield will benefit the Crotona community for decades to come."

As part of the Community Parks Initiative, Mapes Ballfield has been completely redesigned and reconstructed. The park now includes a completely reconstructed Jacobo Ballfield, named in honor of visionary Bronx leader Astin Jacobo; a new playground in the park; new fitness equipment and a new sitting area; two new entrances to the park; and a new picnic and lawn area. A new garden, the Heidi Hynes Meditation Garden, will be created at the site of a parcel which was generously donated to Parks by the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center as part of this project.

The Community Parks Initiative (CPI), launched by Mayor de Blasio in October 2014, is NYC Parks’ first major equity initiative. CPI is a multi-faceted investment in the smaller public parks that are located in New York City’s densely populated and growing neighborhoods where there are higher-than-average concentrations of poverty.

800+ COMPLETED CAPITAL PROJECTS
Under the leadership of Commissioner Silver, since 2014 NYC Parks has completed more than 800 capital projects across the five boroughs, advancing the City’s mission to build a more equitable park system for present and future generations. Under this administration, the agency has brought our park system into the 21st century, with guidelines focused on resiliency and access and leading with a data-driven approach to increasing park equity. Parks has also improved its capital process in order to take on more projects and complete them faster. Through these strategies, the agency has reimagined how we invest in parks across the city, including those in communities with the greatest need for open-space improvements that had not seen investment in decades. Parks’ 10-year capital budget is $5.2 billion—the completed projects over the past seven years represents a $1.96 billion investment.