Brownsville Envisions a New Betsy Head Park: Sports Fields, Benches, Scoreboards and More

BROWNSVILLE, BROOKLYN — Chris Legree has been waiting 60 years to see his beloved Betsy Head Park get a much-needed makeover. As a community activist and sports coach to hundreds of children and young adults who grew up in Brownsville, Legree wants his park to impress the whole country. And he's sure it will.

"For me this isn't just a park, this is a historical moment," Legree said to a table full of Brownsville residents and moderators from the city's Parks Department on Monday night. "We've seen first-hand what a beautiful facility can do for a community."

Legree's table, along with eight other table teams — named after colors and spread throughout a large auditorium next to the park — had broken out into discussion groups Monday night. The goal of the meeting, which was being run by the Parks Department, was to hear from as many community members as possible about what kind of changes they would like to see at Betsy Head Park.

Betsy Head, a neighborhood staple, has been allowed to deteriorate for decades into a state of disrepair full of safety hazards. It's a public complex with two large fields and a pool that services hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of people per year from around the country.

But its gates are rusty and uninviting, its grass patchy and brown. And much of its space is underutilized, residents say.

So Brownsville community members cheered when Betsy Head was selected in August as one of five New York City "anchor parks" to receive $30 million for major improvements.

The city funding project, called the Anchor Parks Initiative, will divide $150 million in taxpayer money between five major city parks — one in each of NYC's five boroughs. The other parks that will receive money are Saint Mary’s Park in the South Bronx; Highbridge Park in Manhattan; Astoria Park in Queens; and Freshkills Park on Staten Island.

For Betsy Head, Legree envisioned an immaculate, "silver plated" baseball field. It could have a Diamond Vision scoreboard, he said, that would light up with school announcements for children and gospel concert announcements for the whole neighborhood.

"I've taken my little league kids to Disney World, and there, you could eat off the baseball field," Legree said. "I want a park here that we can show to kids in other states and have it be the pride of our community, of New York City."

"Do you know how many pros have grown up to be famous from that raggedy field?" Legree said. "And for them to come home and see this new field..."

Each discussion group read off their top priorities for the new park Monday night. Some items on their wish lists: a better football field, a baseball field, a fitness area for young adults, seating for seniors, a scoreboard and — most importantly — better lighting in and around the park, so the area would be safer for local families.

Also, as one resident said: "Accessibility, accessibility, accessibility!"

Other ideas that were tossed around, but didn't seem to really stick, included building a small dog park, installing a skate park and opening up the park's corners so it would be more inviting to passersby.

The idea that unified everyone, though, was the hope that Betsy Head Park's appearance would finally reflect the pride the community has in it.

"The thing I like best about Betsey Head Park is the history and pride there is for it in Brownsville residents," Kayin, a neighborhood organizer and activist who did not give his last name, told Patch. "When folks talk about the best things in Brownsville, Betsy Head is definitely in the top three."

He said kids in the neighborhood currently have to travel far and wide for a good track or football facility — and for the adults, and it takes time, energy, and money to get them there.

Kayin also suggested building a lacrosse court in the park so minority kids in the community could learn to play a sport they otherwise wouldn't have access to.

"Young people don't know the game of lacrosse because it's not even an option for them," Kayin said.

"This treasured open space — once a crown jewel of the New Deal-era parks renovated in New York City — has been shamefully allowed to deteriorate, depriving underserved families of a safe, comfortable place to play and enjoy the outdoors," Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said in a statement earlier this year. "Long-awaited capital improvements will dramatically improve the quality of life for Betsy Head Park's patrons and visitors, many of whom cannot travel elsewhere for recreation."

Legree said Monday night, surveying the packed auditorium: "Can you tell the community has waited decades for this? This new park has the potential to open up national youth projects that will affect hundreds and hundreds of kids."

A Parks Department representative announced to the room that city officials will come up with a plan by winter that incorporates all the community input they've collected. In the meantime, Brownsville residents are encouraged to share any additional ideas online.

Photos by Sarah Kaufman/Patch

Editor's Note: This post has been edited for clarity.