Revamp Of Aging Harlem Playground Is Unveiled: See It

HARLEM, NY — The city on Wednesday unveiled plans for a $5 million revamp of the William McCray Playground, presenting a design that will install a new turf field, spray shower, basketball court, and more to the beloved but aging park.

Wednesday's presentation to Community Board 10 came months after the city held a meeting to solicit Harlemites' input into the redesign of the playground, which is on West 138th Street between Fifth Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard.

Funding for the project came via the Community Parks Initiative, a city program focused on rehabilitating parks in under-served communities that have gone at least 20 years without major improvements.

The William McCray Playground is plagued by a number of problems, including a sinkhole near its swingset, outdated play equipment, a broken spray shower, damaged asphalt on the basketball court and cracked sidewalk pavement.

The January meeting was "a very fruitful discussion," Parks Department representative Steve Simon said this week, revealing residents' desire for more seating and tables, a replaced spray shower, some open green space, and room for events.

The resulting design, revealed Wednesday, makes many of those changes: seating in the playground has been doubled, thanks in part to a number of new steel picnic tables. A synthetic turf field will take shape on the playground's north side, right next to the revamped basketball court.

Brand-new play areas for kids and toddlers will be built on the playground's east side, while the new spray area at the park's center will include four different water features.

Other changes will include a drinking fountain, shorter fences to create better sightlines from the street, repairs to the cracked sidewalk, and better lighting to improve safety, architect Benjamin Nicolosi-Endo told CB10.

Chevron-shaped paving stones will be a nod to the playground's namesake, William McCray: a World War I soldier and Harlem Hellfighter, who hailed from New York City and attained the rank of corporal before being killed in France in 1918.

Construction cannot begin until the city has chosen a winning bidder to handle construction — likely in six to nine months. Work will then begin around early 2024 and last about a year, Simon said.

Board members and residents reacted warmly to the proposed design on Wednesday; resident Abena Smith called the rendering "absolutely beautiful."

"Really stunning, I love it," she said.

William McCray Playground is the first of 10 parks getting redesigned through the latest $425 million round of the Community Parks Initiative. First opened in 1934, subsequent land acquisitions in 1989 and 1992 more than doubled the park's size, according to a Parks Department history.

The playground was last reconstructed in 1994, getting a resurfaced basketball court, trees, play equipment, painted games, a spray shower and benches.

Related coverage: City Wants Harlemites' Help Renovating A Popular Playground