Sumner Playground

NYC PARKS CUTS THE RIBBON ON $4.2 MILLION RENOVATION OF BROOKLYN’S SUMNER PLAYGROUND

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today joined City Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., students and administrators from Bed-Stuy Success Academy, students and administrators from P.S. 59, and community members to cut the ribbon on a major renovation of Brooklyn’s Sumner Playground. The project was jointly funded by the council member and Mayor Bill de Blasio for $4.2 million and the playground’s new design is the result of extensive community input from local residents and nearby schools.

“Sumner Playground is a beloved community space in Central Brooklyn, and we are thrilled to reopen it with a beautiful renovation,” said Commissioner Silver. “Thanks to funding from Mayor de Blasio and Council Member Cornegy, this new and improved park now offers amenities for people of all ages, including a ‘skybox’ area with barstools overlooking the park and ballfield.”

“As the elected official for this district and fellow Brooklynite it gives me great joy to witness the revitalization of our local parks and playgrounds,” said Council Member Cornegy. "Bed-Stuy families will now be able to enjoy the park’s new amenities in a beautiful setting. Thanks to the Mayor’s Office and NYC Parks for their partnership on this project, which will serve the area for years to come.”

Sumner Playground now includes brand new play equipment for children of all ages, tot and junior swings, safety surface and spray showers, and state of the art adult fitness equipment that provides a free year round outdoor gym in the community. The playground also boasts the first ever “skybox” barstool feature in a New York City park! Additionally, the ballfield has been redone in natural turf with new dugouts and bleachers, and the basketball courts have been completely reconstructed. Garden seating, landscaping, and brand new shaded plazas have also been added to beautify the playground.

Sumner Playground lies between Sumner Avenue, Madison Street, Throop Avenue, and Monroe Street. The playground is named for Sumner Avenue, which in turn was named either for Jethro Sumner (ca. 1733-1785), a Revolutionary War general who served under George Washington and commanded the North Carolina forces from 1781 to 1783, or for Charles Sumner (1811-1874), an abolitionist senator from Massachusetts. The street was named in 1887, thirteen years after Charles Sumner died, which, along with his historical prominence, makes him the more likely namesake.