Queensbridge Park

NYC PARKS CELEBRATES NEW $6.25 MILLION GREEN FIELD HOUSE AT QUEENSBRIDGE PARK

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, joined Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer yesterday to celebrate the completion of a new LEED certified field house and comfort station in Queensbridge Park. The project constructed a new, energy-efficient building to provide facilities for community members and Parks staff.

“After 30 years of being vacant, the brand new Queensbridge Field House will provide new public restrooms for park visitors,” said Commissioner Silver. “This new facility will also serve an important role as base of operations for our maintenance staff in Queensbridge Park. We are grateful for the funding support we received from Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer and Mayor Bill de Blasio to enhance the Queensbridge Park experience.”

The park’s old field house, which was built in 1941, was demolished in order to build the new 1,500 square foot facility. The new field house includes a community room, an office area for Parks staff, a public restroom, and storage space for the park’s maintenance equipment. The new facility is 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.

Funding for this project was provided by a $3.75 million from Mayor de Blasio, and an additional $2.5 million allocation from Council Member Van Bramer.

Queensbridge Park is named for the nearby Queensboro Bridge, which is also known as the Queensbridge or 59th Street Bridge. The 1960s duo Simon and Garufunkel 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 swings and a jungle gym, a wading pool, and picnic areas.