Mayor de Blasio Announces Over $425 Million in New Funding for Transformative Community Parks Initiative

October 26, 2021

Funding will rebuild or refurbish 10 community parks a year for the next 10 years, bringing the total number of CPI sites to 167

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff today announced an investment of $425.5 million in new funding over the next 10 years in the Community Parks Initiative. The Community Parks Initiative redesigns and rebuilds community parks neglected by previous administrations, focusing on high-density, low-income areas and parks that have seen less than $250,000 in investment over the past 20 years. Since launching in 2014, CPI has fully reimagined 67 parks – 62 of which are already open to the public. This additional funding will result in 10 new CPI sites a year for the next 10 years.  

“Our recovery must focus on communities historically left behind, and the Community Parks Initiative is a great example of how to do just that,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This $425 million investment will improve open space in communities across the five boroughs for years to come. I want to thank Commissioner Fialkoff and everyone at NYC Parks for prioritizing equity in their stewardship of our incredible parks system.”

"Since 2014, The Community Parks Initiative has transformed so many parks and open spaces in this city that for years had not seen a dime in funding," said Vicki Been, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development. "With today's historic announcement, we are ensuring a path to the continued success of our parks for years to come, providing safe, green havens for New Yorkers from St. Ann's Avenue to St. George."

“With nearly a billion dollars invested in underserved community parks and hard hit COVID neighborhoods through the Community Parks Initiative, Mayor de Blasio’s equity legacy will live on for generations. We have changed the way we approach neighborhood parks, with renewed focus on equity, community, and partnership,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff. “CPI has touched the lives of more than a half a million New Yorkers already, by transforming 67 parks that had been overlooked for decades. With this commitment to fund an additional 100 new CPI sites over the next ten years, we are making permanent our City’s commitment to a fair and equitable park system.”

NYC Parks will engage community residents in CPI zones to help design these park projects by joining community input sessions. At these open, public events, New Yorkers engage with Parks designers to share their visions for how their neighborhood parks should be transformed. Additionally, Partnerships for Parks works with existing and new stakeholders around CPI capital sites with the goal of cultivating community partners at every capital project site to sustain reconstructed parks. Since CPI’s inception, NYC Parks and Partnerships for Parks have engaged nearly 54,000 volunteers in 2,000+ stewardship projects in CPI neighborhoods.

The first 10 community parks to be rebuilt and revitalized are listed below. All 10 are in Task Force for Racial Inclusion and Equity prioritized neighborhoods:

The Bronx:
Chief Dennis L. Devlin Park   
Pontiac Playground  
Horseshoe Playground 

Brooklyn:
Jerome Playground 
Marc and Jason’s Playground

Manhattan:
Anibal Aviles Playground
Detective Omar Edwards Park
William McCray Playground

Queens:
Hoffman Park

Staten Island:
Lt. Lia Playground

"Throughout the pandemic, neighborhood parks were there as a place of refuge where residents could relax, exercise, and decompress from the stress of the lockdown, but many smaller parks lack the funding they need to ensure their longevity,” said Council Member Peter Koo, Chair of the Committee on Parks and Recreation. “Expanding resources for CPI will ensure lower income, high density areas will have access to the funding they need to renovate and reconstruct their facilities, many of which have experienced decades of underinvestment and have fallen into a state of disrepair."

“Hoffman Park is long overdue for a facelift,” said NYC Council Finance Chair Daniel Dromm. “This investment will make this heavily used park more accessible and more user friendly. Located in the Elmhurst section of my district, this park is frequented by young people playing basketball, seniors watching passerby and shoppers coming from the Queens Center mall. I am proud to have worked with Mayor de Blasio to make this happen.”