Public Meeting Next Week on Red Hook Ballfields Restoration

RED HOOK, BROOKLYN — Officials from the New York City Parks Department and the Environmental Protection Agency will host a public meeting on August 4 to update community members on their planned cleanup and restoration work at the Red Hook ballfields.

The meeting will run from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Miccio Center Gymnasium, located at 110 West 9th St.

Ballfields 5, 6, 7 and 8, which are bordered by Lorraine, Hicks, Henry and Bay Streets, were shuttered in 2015 after lead contamination was found in their soil, believed to be from a former lead smelting plant on the site.

The city plans on spending $11 million to clean and improve the fields. According to the parks department, synthetic turf fields will be installed, as will a host of amenities, including new trees, lighting, bike racks, sidewalks and trash cans.

Community Board 6 backed the city's plan in June.

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Parks Department. Click to enlarge.

The effort remains in its design phase, with work scheduled to be complete by late 2018 or early 2019.

Pictured at top: a rendering of the completed Red Hook Park ballfields. Image via Parks Department