December 16, 2019

$1.5 Million Green Playground to Bring Nearly 17,872 Residents Within a 10-Minute Walk of a Park and Improve the Health of the East River

Photos Available on DEP ’s Flickr Page

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), The Trust for Public Land, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and Council Member Costa Constantinides joined students, teachers, and families today to break ground on a new, student-designed green playground at P.S. 84 in Astoria, Queens. The inclusion of green infrastructure will allow the new playground to absorb approximately 530,000 gallons of stormwater annually, which will help to improve the health of the nearby East River.

The playground will include a running track, turf field, two play equipment areas, basketball hoops, game tables, benches, an amphitheater, an outdoor classroom, and green infrastructure elements including permeable pavers, a synthetic turf field and specifically chosen plantings and trees. Scheduled to open in the fall of 2020, the $1.5 million playground will bring nearly 17,872 Astoria residents within a 10-minute walk of a park.

“DEP is proud to partner with The Trust for Public Land and the entire P.S. 84 community as they design their new, environmentally-friendly school playground, ” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “The green infrastructure elements to be built in the new play space will absorb more than 500,000 gallons of stormwater annually and improve the health of the East River. ”

“This new playground will transform a former barren asphalt lot into a vibrant green space that will benefit P.S 84 students and the larger Astoria community, ” said Carter Strickland, New York State Director for The Trust for Public Land. “Parks have the power to bring everyone together in a publicly accessible space where they can have fun on the play equipment or toss a ball, run around the track, hang out with old friends and meet new neighbors. Furthermore, parks ’ trees, gardens, and other green infrastructure makes our communities stronger and more climate-resilient. ”

"This student-designed and environmentally-friendly playground will be a first-class, state-of-the-art recreational resource for Astoria, ” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. “The construction of this playground represents a significant investment in Astoria and will better enable both schoolchildren and local residents to enjoy the outdoors and be physically active. It was a privilege to work with the de Blasio administration, Council Member Constantinides and The Trust for Public Land to make today ’s groundbreaking possible. ”

In addition to serving students, the playground will be open to the public during select after school hours, providing opportunities for both children and adults to be physically active.

Overall, The Trust for Public Land in New York City has added more than 160 acres of additional playground space across the five boroughs, serving nearly 4 million people who live within a 10-minute walk of one of the sites.

“As a P.S. 84 alumni and a neighbor who grew up just across the street from this school, I have many fond memories of this outdoor space. From throwing around a football to chasing baseballs hit into the street, this schoolyard was a place of happiness and I ’m incredibly proud to have helped make the investment to transform this concrete lot into a vibrant green open space that will better serve P.S. 84 and the larger northern Astoria community, ” said Council Member Costa Constantinides. “The new schoolyard will add many new play elements like an amphitheater, a turf field, and an even an outdoor classroom. Even better, green infrastructure elements are incorporated into the design, which will help make this play space more sustainable. I ’m excited to see this project get started and look forward to its completion. ”

The playground design was led by students, helping them gain valuable knowledge and life skills like budgeting, negotiation and planning. In addition to being a fun, recreational space, the playground will function as an outdoor classroom for students to explore nature, learn about environmental science, and take part in physical education and after-school activities.

The P.S. 84 playground is made possible through a partnership with the New York City Departments of Education and Environmental Protection, as well as the City ’s School Construction Authority. Funding was also allocated by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and Council Member Costa Constantinides.

DEP manages New York City ’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to more than 9.6 million residents, including 8.6 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $20.1 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Nearly ten million people live within a ten-minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.