Queensbridge Park

NYC PARKS AND COUNCIL MEMBER VAN BRAMER BID FAREWELL TO OLD QUEENSBRIDGE FIELD HOUSE AND BREAK GROUND ON NEW GREEN FACILITY

NYC Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski today joined Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer and Queensbridge community members to break ground on a new $6.25 million, LEED certified field house and comfort station in Queensbridge Park. The new energy-efficient building will provide facilities for community members and will help staff to better service the park.

“Queensbridge is a picturesque park with astounding views of the skyline, and an active community who loves and cares for it,” said Commissioner Lewandowski. “The new field house we are building will provide storage and office space for Parks staff, an indoor space for community programming, and – best of all – it will finally bring a bathroom facility to the southern end of the park.”

“This new Park House will bring great new amenities to all who use Queensbridge Park,” said Council Member Van Bramer. “Ensuring that this park has all of the features and amenities needed to serve the seniors, families and children of Queensbridge and Western Queens has always been a priority for me. I have been working to bring improvements to this park since taking office and am proud to have secured funding for this Park House project, including the $2.5 million that I allocated. I am so happy to be here today breaking ground at the site as we mark the next step in making this Park House a reality.”

The Park’s old field house, which was built in 1941, will be demolished in order to build this new 1,500 square foot facility. The new field house will include a community room, an office area for Parks staff, a public restroom, and storage space for the park’s maintenance equipment. It will be surrounded by an outdoor plaza area complete with seating, bicycle racks and drinking fountains.

The building’s green design includes: efficient plumbing fixtures that reduce water use; an energy efficient heating and cooling system; energy efficient lighting; increased ventilation; and light-colored paving to reduce the heat island effect.
The total funding for the project is $6.25 million, including $2.5 million allocated by Council Member Van Bramer, and an additional $3.75 million from Mayor de Blasio. The design was unveiled at a community event in April 2017. The building is expected to be re-opened in summer 2019.

Queensbridge Park is named for the nearby Queensboro Bridge, which is also known as the Queensbridge or 59th Street Bridge. The 1960s band Simon and Garfunkel made the bridge famous in their song “Feelin’ Groovy,” also called “The 59th Street Bridge Song.” The park is home to a variety of facilities such as a soccer-football combo field, baseball fields, basketball, volleyball and handball courts, a playground with see-saws, swings and jungle gym, and picnic areas. The only other comfort station in the park is on the north side of the site, at Vernon Boulevard and 41st Street.

In July 2014, NYC Parks cut the ribbon on a new waterfront promenade in Queensbridge Park, as well as a restored seawall along the water’s edge. The area was later named in honor of longtime park advocate Elizabeth McQueen.