Brooklyn Council Member Mark Treyger says the Lafayette Playground, located on Benson Avenue between Bay 43rd Street and Stillwell Avenue in Gravesend, re-opened on July 25 – four months ahead of the projected completion date.
Treyer, who represents the 47th Council District, said on Monday that the opening follows “a full renovation to transform the under-activated asphalt space into a vibrant park, with amenities that can be enjoyed by all.”
He said that, when the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation originally introduced its Community Parks Initiative to revitalize a number of parks across the five boroughs, southern Brooklyn was initially left out.
Treyger said he engaged in an advocacy push to reverse decades of neglect for outer borough green and recreational spaces, and secured funding for Lafayette Playground to be included in the initiative.
He said Lafayette Playground, once a simple triangular space topped with asphalt, was completely redesigned to include lush greenery and flexible features that “reflect the community’s priorities which were gathered during a community input pre-design scoping meeting.”
The council member said the renovated Lafayette Playground will have a brand new water bottle filling station; an urban lab; a new water fountain; an adult fitness area; a basketball court for the Lafayette Educational Campus high school teams; a picnic grove, including new tables, game tables, benches and sitting areas; a shade structure; walking paths; and new plants and trees.
In the coming weeks, Treyger said he will host an official ribbon cutting ceremony to invite residents in the community out for a day in the park, and hopes to host future community events in the park for years to come.
“I’m elated to see this project finished so that the children, seniors and families in our community can enjoy the new and enhanced Lafayette Playground and green space,” Treyger said. “I have made it a priority to ensure our parks in Southern Brooklyn are receiving the care and investment that’s been missing for many years and that they become beautiful, well-maintained outdoor spaces for local residents to appreciate.
“I encourage all residents and New Yorkers to come out and enjoy the new facilities at Lafayette Playground and know that I will continue to allocate and advocate for resources for our neighborhood parks and recreational amenities,” he added.
