City Breaks Ground On Jackie Robinson Park Renovations

HARLEM, NY — The city Parks Department broke ground Wednesday on a $4.4 million project to make Harlem's Jackie Robinson Park more accessible to community residents by installing ramps and renovating staircases and pathways near park entrances.

The project is part of the city's Parks Without Borders initiative launched in 2015, Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver said. Of the eight parks selected for improvements through the initiative, Jackie Robinson Park is the first to break ground.

"This is a design concept that looks to improve the areas where parks meet neighborhoods. That includes the edges, entrances and all the adjacent park spaces," Silver said Wednesday, describing Parks Without Borders as a "passion project" of his.

Silver said Wednesday that community input was "invaluable" in selecting the parks that will receive renovations through the initiative. After the initiative launched in 2015, city residents nominated more than 6,000 improvement projects in 700 city parks for funding.

In May of 2016, the city announce that a project to restore edges of Jackie Robinson Park near West 145th Street and Edgecombe Avenue was chosen for funding. The project will fund improvements for reconstructed staircases and pathways near the park's Edgecombe promenade, Silver said. The project also includes the installation of ADA-accessible ramps. When the project is complete in 2020 the park should be more accessible and beautiful than before, Silver said.

Ayo Robinson, Jackie Robinson's granddaughter, attended Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony and said that the project honors the spirit of Robinson, who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

"All of this is wonderful to the legacy of my grandfather, which was really about impact on communities," Robinson said. "So this project does truly honor his spirit, and I am very grateful."

As chair of the Community Board 10 Parks and Recreation Committee, Karen Horry supported Jackie Robinson Park as a recipient of Parks Without Borders funding. Horry said Wednesday that the project represents "community and government collaboration at its best" and said the improvements are a long time coming.

"Improving Jackie Robinson Park is integral the viability and success of this community and will have an everyday impact on the lives of our residents — from fighting blight to facilitating physical activity and promoting neighborliness and better health in our neighborhoods.

The city Parks Department expects to break ground on the seven other Parks Without Borders projects in the next few months, Silver said Wednesday. Other parks receiving improvements include: Fort Greene Park and Prospect Park in Brooklyn, Van Cortlandt Park and Hugh Grant Circle / Virginia Park and Playground in the Bronx, Seward Park in Manhattan, Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens and Faber Park in Staten Island.

Photo by Brendan Krisel/Patch