Story Playground

The Daily Plant : Thursday, August 21, 2008

A Bronx Story

Photo by Malcolm Pinckney

During most summer days, the Parks Department cuts a ribbon on a recently completed improvement project. Sometimes, two ribbons are cut in a day. But four? That is what happened on Thursday, August 14 as four consecutive events were held to celebrate Bronx improvements made possible through $14 million in Croton mitigation funds.

First Deputy Mayor Patricia E. Harris and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe began the day’s festivities at Story Playground. The parade of openings then continued at Soundview Park, Aqueduct Lands Playground and Devoe Park. Attendees at these four South Bronx parks included State Senator Efrain Gonzalez Jr., Assembly Members Ruben Diaz, Jr., and Jose Rivera; Council Member Annabel Palma, Bronx Borough Commissioner Hector Aponte and neighborhood children.

New play equipment, spray showers, color-seal basketball courts, seating, fencing and landscaping are just some of the improvements made to these South Bronx parks.

These projects were funded as part of a $200 million investment in Bronx parks, financed by mitigation funds from the construction of the Croton Water Filtration Plant through the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the Municipal Water Finance Authority.

Croton-funded projects fall into five categories and include improving neighborhood parks, renovating regional recreation facilities, developing the Bronx Greenway, improving and expanding access to the Bronx waterfront, and “greening” the borough.

To date, Parks has completed 21 Croton projects, totaling more than $34 million and 20 more projects totaling more than $62 million are in construction. There are also 34 additional projects in design totaling more than $99 million.

ADDENDUM

Last week, The Daily Plant ran an article on the Green Roof at 5 Borough. We also want to acknowledge the GreenApple Corps for their assistance with plant selection and their significant help in constructing many of the plant beds and subsequent plantings.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.”

Jackie Joyner-Kersee
(1962 - )