Seaside Wildlife Nature Park

The Daily Plant : Monday, August 4, 2008

Cutting The Ribbon On Two S.I. Gems

Photo by Daniel Avila

July 11 was a banner day for Staten Island parks with the opening of two state-of-the-art facilities.

First, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe cut the ribbon to the newly refurbished waterfront at Seaside Nature Park with State Senator Andrew Lanza, Council Member Vincent Ignizio, Council Member Michael McMahon, Assembly Member Louis Tobacco, Commissioner County Clerk Stephen Fiala and Anthony and Shirley Marraccini of Turn Around Friends.

Thanks to $2,086,000 allocated by Mayor Bloomberg and $400,000 allocated by City Council Member Ignizio, Seaside Nature Park was transformed into a waterfront park with three new path types, including asphalt, stone screenings and a wood planked boardwalk with an overlook. There are now benches, a perimeter timber barrier rail, a drinking fountain, new drainage and water supply systems, an irrigation system, and new security lighting. Invasive overgrowth was removed and new trees, shrubs, groundcovers and plantings were added.

Then, Commissioner Benepe was joined by Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro State Senator Andrew Lanza, Council Member Vincent Ignizio and Council Member Michael McMahon to cut the ribbon a new $1.2 million synthetic turf soccer field in Bloomingdale Park. Commissioner Benepe also presented Borough President Molinaro with a public service award from the New York State Parks & Recreation Society.

Bloomingdale Park now features a synthetic turf soccer field as well as new pavement, benches, and bleachers. Improvements were also made to the storm drainage system and irrigation of the lawn. Bloomingdale Park’s 138 acres consist primarily of natural areas, but the recent population growth in the surrounding neighborhood has spurred the need for more recreational opportunities and organized field sports, especially soccer, which officials noted has become the most popular sport among Staten Island youth.

Over the past five years, Parks & Recreation has invested more than $70 million for Staten Island park improvements. Currently, Parks is in the midst of a major initiative to improve parks throughout the borough with 17 projects valued at approximately $19 million under construction, and another 32 projects valued at $30 million currently in design or procurement.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.”

Malcolm Forbes
(1919 - 1990)