Image Credit: NYC Parks Department.
The $1 million project is the latest in a series of renovations of the Triborough Bridge Playgrounds. On July 16, 2019, the Parks Department announced the completion and opening of a new dog run and revamped basketball courts at Astoria’s Triborough Bridge Playground C with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Triborough Playground C is one of six in a family of playgrounds, located on Hoyt Avenue North and Hoyt Avenue South between 21st and 26th Streets, that provide the neighborhood with a variety of athletic and recreational spaces. Playground C is the latest to receive attention, with Playground A having debuted a new soccer field and adult playground two summers ago and Playground B getting a similarly refurbished basketball court in Winter 2018 as the result of a partnership between Parks and the Big Ten Network.
At Playground C, the basketball courts have been completely redone, starting with new asphalt pavement. The color seal coating on the pavement will increase the longevity and vibrancy of the courts by ensuring they can better withstand the rigors of time and the elements. New backboards, benches, and drinking fountains highlight the rest of the enhancements.
The dog park features a bevy of canine amenities, including concrete climbing rocks, drinking fountains with dog bowls, spray hydrants to cool off exercising dogs, and fencing to separate designated areas for large dogs and small ones. To facilitate this venue, the City widened the sidewalk along Hoyt Avenue South and made new plantings on it.
The $1 million in funding came equally from Borough President Melinda Katz’s office and the City Council.
Katz heralded the dog run and courts as wonderful additions for the families increasingly moving into Astoria. Council Member Costa Constantinides said, “We heard the barks of our four-legged constituents, and delivered a state-of-the-art space for them to run, play, and get some fresh air.”
By: Sean Scheinfeld (Sean is a CityLaw Intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2021).