Plimpton Playground

NYC PARKS CUTS THE RIBBON ON THE NEWEST COMMUNITY PARKS INITATIVE SITE PLIMPTON PLAYGROUND

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today joined City Council Member Vanessa Gibson, Community Board 4 District Manager Paul A. Philps, students and staff from the Bronx-Manhattan Seventh Day Adventist School, and local community members to cut the ribbon on the total reconstruction of Plimpton Playground through the Community Parks Initiative (CPI)—the City’s first-ever parks equity initiative. The project was funded by a $4.43 million allocation from Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“Plimpton Playground, a space that has seen minimal improvements over the past 20 years, has been completely re-envisioned and revitalized, with wonderful upgrades made to the entire park,” said Parks Commissioner Silver. “Thanks to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Community Parks Initiative and a $4.43 million investment in this park, the West Bronx now has a beautiful brand new playground for all to enjoy.”

“DEP and NYC Parks have once again partnered to beautifully reimagine a playground to both serve the west Bronx community and improve our environment,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “The newly revamped Plimpton Playground utilizes an innovative green infrastructure system that will manage nearly 300,000 gallons of storm water every year to help improve the health of the nearby Harlem River.”

As part of the Community Parks Initiative, Plimpton Playground has been completely renovated with entirely new features and amenities. The brand new playground now features a completely renovated multi-purpose open space lined with benches, game tables and ornamental plants; a brand new adult fitness area; a new interactive spray shower; and inclusive play equipment for children of all ages featuring swings and climbers.

Working with DEP, multiple sustainability features have also been added including permeable surfaces, a rain garden, and a storm water capture system. New park lighting has also been installed to address the community’s concern for safety.

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.