Newly Renovated Park Opens On The Lower East Side

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — Public officials unveiled a new $1.9 million playground on the Lower East Side on Wednesday, bringing substantial upgrades to a public space that had gone decades without refurbishment.

The Henry M. Jackson playground, located at the intersection of Henry and Jackson streets, is now equipped with a new basketball court, a resurfaced handball court plus a small running track and space to play volleyball, according to the parks department. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Council Member Rosie Mendez, who represents District 2 in City Council, joined public officials including State Senator Daniel Squadron and Council Member Margaret Chin to open the park on Wednesday.

"Just a couple of years ago, close to 100 people came to a meeting to make recommendations on how this park should be renovated," Mendez said in a statement. "Their ideas were incorporated into the design, and now we have a playground for all in the community."

The Henry M. Jackson playground was refurbished under the city's Community Parks Initiative. The $315 million project launched in 2014 to bring renovations to some of the city's most beleaguered parks and playgrounds, the parks department said in a statement. More than 60 facilities will get funding through the program, all of which in are neighborhoods with an above-average percentage of residents living below the federal poverty level, according to the city.

The Henry Jackson playground is one of the first to be completed through the initiative.

The Sol Lain Playground, located just down the street from the Henry Jackson facility, is also being updated through the Community Parks Initiative. City officials expect that park to re-open in the fall.

In addition to the infrastructure updates, the park also has more greenery, including small trees and shrubs, to help manage storm water runoff.

The updates, which cost $1.9 million in total, were jointly funded by the city's Department of Environmental Prevention, the city's parks department, and the mayor's office.

Photo courtesy of the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation.