St. Mary's Playground

NYC PARKS CELEBRATES REOPENING OF ST. MARY’S PLAYGROUND AND NEW FITNESS AREA AT DOME PLAYGROUND IN BROOKLYN

NYC Parks Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Martin Maher today joined City Council Member Brad Lander and community members to celebrate the newly completed renovations to St. Mary’s Playground in Brooklyn. Following the ribbon cutting, there was a brief photo op at Dome Playground, where construction was recently completed on new handball and basketball courts, adult fitness equipment, an accessible entrance and perimeter landscaping.

“Council Member Lander has been a great partner in funding park improvements throughout his district”, said Commissioner Maher. “We are pleased to celebrate the completion of the first part of the Carrol Gardens community’s vision for St. Mary’s Playground, part of the $3 million renovation with the second phase scheduled for completion later this year. Additionally, the Kensington Community can celebrate the newly completed $3.75 million reconstruction of Dome Playground.”

“I’m thrilled that the recent renovations to St. Mary’s Playground and Dome Playground are now completed, and that both of these playgrounds have reopened to the public,” said Council Member Lander. “It’s an important part of our broader community planning work to improve the parks and open spaces around the Gowanus Canal, to make sure that Gowanus is a vibrant, sustainable, mixed-use neighborhood for decades to come, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with St. Mary’s. These playgrounds are great places for neighbors to gather and kids to play, and the recently completed improvements will make these spaces more accessible, safe, and fun. Big thanks to Parks and the Borough President for their work in getting these projects completed, and I look forward to phase two of St. Mary’s Playground to be unveiled later this year.”

“When Councilmember Lander was able to secure funding to rebuild St. Mary’s Playground through participatory budgeting, it was a breath of fresh air, and seemed like a perfect opportunity for the community to weigh in and inform the design discussion to ensure that constituent needs were met,” said Community Board member Paige Bellenbaum. “I conducted a neighborhood poll and presented the results to Parks - and they listened. Today we have a beautiful new playground filled with laughing and running children of all ages. Thanks to Councilmember Lander and Parks, when I pass it every day now, I can’t help but have a massive smile.”

Funded with $850,000 from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and $500,000 from Council Member Lander, the full reconstruction of St. Mary’s Playground includes brand new ADA accessible play equipment for toddlers, young children, and older children. New safety surface and spray showers, net climbers, new tables and chairs, permeable pavers to manage storm water, new fences, and new planting beds were also be added.

In addition, the Council Member teamed up Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams to secure $1.35 million more to reconstruct an adjacent parcel within the park, the design for which includes a skating area, multi-use synthetic turf field, adult fitness equipment, basketball courts, and a walking track. Construction is currently underway and is expected to be completed this fall.

Council Member Lander also funded $1 million for a second phase of renovations to Dome Playground, which includes handball and basketball courts, add new adult fitness equipment, an accessible entrance, and perimeter landscaping to the park, and was recently completed.