Work On St. Mary's Playground Is Underway

CARROLL GARDENS, BROOKLYN — Work to re-build St. Mary's Playground underneath the F train will "officially" begin Tuesday after a groundbreaking ceremony featuring local elected officials.

The playground, on the corner of Smith and Nelson streets on the Carroll Gardens-Red Hook border, has been closed since 2009, according to DNAinfo. But two years ago funding was secured by City Councilman Brad Lander and the MTA to restore it.

Lander, along with NYC Parks Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Martin Maher, will join members of the community at 11 a.m. Tuesday for a groundbreaking ceremony at the playground site.

The $1.35 million improvements will include spray showers, net climbers, new tables and chairs, permeable pavers to manage storm water, new fences, and new planting beds.

Those renovations are expected to be completed by April 2018, according to the city Parks Department's tracker (which also notes construction is already 16 percent complete). The upgrades are also expected to relieve tot traffic at nearby Carroll Park.

In Fall 2017, construction will also begin on another $1.35 million project to upgrade an adjacent lot with a skating area, synthetic turf field, adult fitness equipment, basketball courts and a walking track.

Image via Google Streetview